Victorious Hearts Dont Lie
by irshgirl
Summary: When Robbie's new North Ridge girlfriend tries to change him into something he isnt, Cat realizes she has deep feelings for him. Cat and Robbie struggle with their feelings for one another
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here I am busily writing Glee; Harvest Moon during the week, Ginny's tale on Sundays,

when I got sick and a fever hit me. In my delirium, the writer in me dreamed this story and it has followed me to work and the grocery store so the best way to purge it is for it to be written.

Victorious is what I consider a cross between Glee and Fame so naturally its my genre.

This is the love story of Robbie and Cat and their journey and all its ups and downs .

With more than likely some Bade because I want those two stubborn people to find their way back to one another and anything is possible with Tori and Andre.

Disclaimer : Nope, nada, I don't own Victorious .

Robbie Shapiro stared at his reflection in the mirror, a thin, lean, almost gangly young man with short dark curls, brown eyes hidden behind his glasses, dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue button down shirt stared back.

He wasn't exactly handsome though he didn't think he was ugly.

He was average but with issues .

Didn't they all have some sort of issues these days ?

His puppet, Rex, whom he talked through and was possibly his best friend , was the ladies man. Rex could say things that Robbie never would or have the courage to say .

Rex was cool.

Robbie was just himself and he was tired of that. Tired of being the butt of the jokes, tired of the rejection from girls, tired of being lonely, tired of wishing the one girl he was crazy about would ever see him as more than friend .

Cat Valentine was a bubbly redhead with an effervescing, cheerful look on the everyday , very sweet , and a bit bi-polar but it was what made her who she was .

She, however, only considered him to be a friend .

So when Rex had chatted up a North Ridge girl online , hope and a new possibility opened up for Robbie . . Some flirtation occurred and he , not Rex, had a coffee date with one Roxanne Morrison in twenty minutes .

He was going to take a chance and hope for the best . If not, well, Robbie was used to rejection...He got it on a daily basis at Hollywood Arts High School.

Robbie pulled his old fixer upper car into a parking space and parked between a Volvo .

Rex turned his head ." North Ridge girls are ..FINE . Don't screw this up, you nimrod "

" Shut up, Rex " cracked Robbie as his pear phone went off . He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled when he realized the text was from Cat .

He was missing the rest of the gang who was hanging out at Tori Vega's house playing cards and watching movies . When everyone was broke, they hung out at Tori's .

It was beginning to become a new trend of every other Saturday night .

His heart leaped against his chest as he read the simple text .

Hi Robbie (:

Hope your having fun. Tell Rex hi from me .

I miss you !

Cat

" The girl wouldn't kiss you if you were the last man on earth . Now get your bony ass in there and win over some hot North Ridge babe "

Robbie frowned, picked up his puppet , and stared at it . " Sorry, Rex, but I am flying solo on this date tonight "

" Are you out of your pea brain mind ? You are goanna crash and burn so bad "

Robbie stuffed the puppet under the car seat and walked confidently into the coffeehouse .

Meanwhile at the home of Tori Vega, Cat stood up from the table , where her friends were currently in the middle of a card game , and reread Robbie's text again .

" Uh, little Red," spoke up Andre Harris ," where you goin ?"

He was a handsome , dark skinned young man with fine dreadlocks hair , a warm smile , and a coolness about him that said good guy .

" No where ," answered Cat with a small frown," I just …changed my mind about my cards. There was this time when my brother changed his mind about going to the hospital in his lizard outfit …it was sort of weird "

Tori exchanged looks with her sister , Trina, then Andre and Beck Oliver .

" Cat , focus ," smiled Tori," who is the text from ? "

" Is it from Jade ?" spoke up Beck, quietly . He was a walking ad for hot guy with a nice build, inky dark hair, soulful eyes and a calmness that reeked of cool.

Jade West was his former girlfriend and one of Cat's best friends . The break up had been bad and everyone was navigating around it .

Especially the ex couple themselves . It was tense and awkward, at times .

" No," answered Cat ," Robbie "

Tori, with her long , beautiful dark brown hair and perfect skin, took the phone from her friend , with a questioning look. " It can't be that interesting then, Cat , if its Robbie "

" He coming over for some cards or what ?" asked Andre , curiously .

" No," Cat's voice was softer than usual," he has a ..date "

" A made up date ?" this came from Andre with a laugh .

" I don't think he made her up," says Cat ," I ..didn't think he liked the North Ridge girls . I thought Rex only hit on them..cause they are mean, you know "

" Seriously ," questioned Beck, " I didn't know anything about this . Is she making this up, Tori ? Read the text….I mean, Robbie usually comes to me for advice "

Tori read the text , out loud ," Rex fixed me up with North Ridge girl he met online .

Wish me luck . Robbie " She handed Cat back her cell phone ," This can't go well "

" Doubtful but at least he's getting out there " said Andre ," has to be rough after all the rejection the dude gets from the ladies at school .."

Cat frowned and wondered why it bothered her that Robbie had a date . After all, they were just friends , okay, best friends in a way .

He just hadn't met the right type of girl but she was afraid he was dreaming if he was going out with a snobby snob from North Ridge .

" Well, we will just have to be there for him when he gets hurt again " decided Cat

" Right " said Beck, leaning back in his seat and idly wondering if he should stalk ..check Jade's page on The Slap to see what she was doing tonight .

It had only been three weeks since the break up and he found that even though he didn't miss the fighting , he still missed her . Never mind that they shared classes together , Jade was pretty much ignoring him like the plague . " So, this card game sucks . Movie ? "

" I got the new Footloose " declared Tori ," I can cook some popcorn "

" OOOh popcorn ," Cat bounced on her toes ," I love popcorn though my brother can't have it anymore …he tried to see how many kernels he could stick up his nose but he only got 29 before we had to take him to the hospital. It was gross and I haven't really …."

Tori steered her to the couch " Why don't you text Robbie and see if he wants to join us ? You know , after his date decides to dump him…"

" Tori ! That's mean ….Kay, Kay " Cat sent out a text to Robbie , eagerly .

' Just being a good friend " Tori headed into the kitchen to fix some popcorn while Andre pulled some iced cold sodas from the fridge to pass out . He slid past her , stopping briefly to enjoy the soft scent of her perfume that lingered in the air . " Andre , what are you doing ? "

" Uh, nothing ,' lied Andre ," brain freeze . It happens ….we might need something stronger than orange soda if this chick annialiates Robbie "

" I don't know why I let you people hang out with me ," Trina threw her hands up in the air in boredom ," you bring me down "

Tori leaned across her sister and gave her hair a yank. " You invited yourself. Now go away , Trina "

Trina made a disgusted face and reached for her purse . " Fine . I am so going to find a rocking hot party and go party ….without all of you losers "

" Okay " Andre waved from the couch .

" Bye " Beck called over his shoulder and settled in to watch the movie .

Trina growled under her breath and stormed out of the front door , slamming it , loudly .

" Beck seems kind of quiet ….you know , without Jade " said tori in hushed tones .

Andre hid his pain from his best friend , afraid his mask would slip and she would see that his feelings for her was more than just the best friend who was there for her 24/7.

Not to mention he couldn't tell if Tori was still crushing over Beck, now that Jade was out of the picture .

Damn !

" It's only been a couple of weeks ," surmised Andre with a shrug,' takes time . Dude was with her for like three years ….long time "

" I think we should make sure he is alright .." hedged Tori

" I think we should leave the guy alone unless Beck brings it up ," brought up Andre," let the man deal with his pain in his own way, Tor"

" Are you sure ?" asked Tori, suspiciously . He was acting weird tonight .

" Leave Beck alone …just don't do anything " stated Andre ," Cat, are you still texting , Robbie ? His date might not be too cool about another girl texting him during a date …"

Cat sent the new text and her big brown eyes widened ." It's just me, Andre "

" Exactly , Cat ," Beck took the pear phone from her ," let Rob have some peace before this rich chick dumps him. You can console him when he gets her e…."

" Console ," repeated Cat , frowning ," there isn't a console around here and I don't know what that has to do with me and Robbie , either . You guys are being mean to me !"

Andre and Beck exchanged pained expressions -Cat was super sensitive and got her feelings hurt easily .

" No, they aren't ," Tori handed her a bowl of popcorn," they just meant that you always know what to say to Robbie to make him feel better , Cat "

" That's true ," agreed Cat , " yay popcorn ! I love popcorn ..its like eating fluffy corn !"

She giggled .

" Put on the movie, Beck " Tori plopped down beside Cat ," lets cut loose …"

" Really, Tori ?" Andre lifted a brow, loving teasing her about her quirks .

She made a face at him and the opening credit of the movie began rolling across the screen.

Across town, Robbie entered the coffee shop, straightened his glasses and ran a hand through his mop of brown curls and reconsidered if this meeting was actually something he wanted to do. Without Rex bringing the cool for him, it was all on him .

However, he was tired of being the lone guy out while Cat dated one guy to the next , though she currently wasn't dating anyone now .

Andre flitted through the girlfriends left and right .

Beck could get anyone he wanted …he was that cool .

Tori was gorgeous and she was never without a boyfriend for too long .

Jade ….Robbie was still running an inner debate with himself when he noticed Jade West sitting at a table by herself , drinking coffee, and playing on her pear phone .

Her inky black hair was shot through with whirls of green, and she was dressed in typical Jade attire..black jeans , a loose white and black shirt , and black leather jacket .

He found himself approaching her table . " Jade, what a surprise "

Her eyes flickered up at him and a smirk .sneer crossed her face. " Go away, Robbie "

" Right ," Robbie was non-plussed ," I'm kind of glad I ran into you…I'm meeting someone here . It's a date ..with a North Ridge girl "

Jade heaved a disgruntled sigh and closed her phone . " Like I care "

" Where's your stupid puppet ? You gonna try to make nice with girl ..all by yourself, Robbie " Jade's tone was sharp , with the intent to maim .

" Yeah, I am ," answered Robbie ," Rex hasn't helped me at all with the ladies ..except he can talk to them. So, I am going to march over to that North Ridge girl and ..do my darndest to impress her …."

He inclined his head , motioning to a petite young woman with straight pale blonde hair , who was dressed in a very expensive blue mini -dress and white silk blouse .

" You don't stand a chance in hell " pointed out Jade, taking a sip of her coffee .

" I know but I gotta do it …." said Robbie, wiping his clammy hands on his jeans .

" What about Cat ?" asked Jade , glancing at the text from her sweet best friend .

Robbie grew thoughtful. " Cat will never want me ," informed Robbie, sadly ," I'm just her friend and I'm tired of being all by myself "

Jade was eerily quiet .

God, she missed Beck more than she ever thought was possible .

Bastard .

Robbie braced himself for rejection and made his way over to the pretty blonde .

" Roxanne, " greeted Robbie, smiling warmly at her ," Hi . I'm Robbie "

Roxanne closed her cell, sipped her latte , and checked him out. " You never mentioned your resemblance to Andy Samberg …"

He winced, tired of hearing that all of the time. " No relation ," laughed Robbie , nervously ," and honestly, I am nothing like him at all "

" You're a geek who goes to Hollywood Arts " remarked Roxanne, noting that he wasn't completely unattractive . He had nice eyes and the hair could be fixed .

After all, geeks were in this year and it might be an adventure in dating .She was open -minded enough and the prestige of having a boyfriend who went to HA would give her more points in the heiarachery of North Ridge .

" That would be me " Robbie sat down ," do you want me to leave now ?"

Roxanne sent him a mega watt smile that had his heart racing from the nerves anyway.

" No , stay ," she stated ," I think we should get to know each other better "

" Really ?"

" Really so, Robbie , does anyone ever call you Robert ?"

" Uh, no, just usually Robbie …so, would you like a muffin to go with your latte?"

Roxanne nodded ," yes, I would, Robert, and thank you . Then I want to hear how exciting it is at Hollywood arts and what exactly your talents are …so thrilling "

Robbie was so giddy he almost fell off of his chair . " Be right back "

He made a beeline pass Jade's table where the dark haired Goth girl had been watching them with mild interest and disbelief followed by boredom .

" The date is going great ! She actually likes me ..she isn't even getting up to leave " said an excited Robbie ," they always get up to leave …."

" No "

" I can be me ," declared Robbie ," I got a date and I didn't need help from Beck or Andre "

" Do you want me to cut you " threatened Jade , though her heart wasn't in it .

" Sorry …I gotta get food or Roxanne will think I deserted our date " Robbie made his way over to the counter , stopping only to wave at a few friends from school .

Jade couldn't help but think that Robbie was in way over his head .


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I still do not own Victorious or we would have an hour long show .

Robbie smoothed the one wayward curl on the top of his head with mild irritation as it refused to straighten. It had been a lot of work to straighten his hair this morning .

How did girls use those stupid straight irons ?

It had taken a lot of hair gel and almost 20 minutes to get rid of his unruly curls but the end result was cool. He hoped it was worth the effort .

" Wussy ," taunted Rex ," stop primping like a damn girl . Be a man and get in the school. Show off your new manly do "

" I don't need your criticism today " informed Robbie , considering shoving his puppet in his locker and out of the way for a few hours .

Robbie walked briskly into Hollywood Arts and made a beeline to his locker, searching for his friends as he did so but no one was hanging by Tori's locker today .

Then he heard her infectious laughter and knew that Cat was nearby .

" Robbie ," called Cat , running over to her friend ," there you are ! Your running really late this morning ….did you stop for waffles ?"

He smiled at her , affection shining in his eyes. " Morning, Cat , and no didn't have breakfast or waffles. Just running late this morning …."

Robbie couldn't help but to notice how pretty she looked but then Cat always looked beautiful . Today , Cat wore a short ,pink dress that had little flowers all across it and her red -velvet hair fell soft against her shoulders making her look even sweeter .

" We missed you at Tori's house ," says Cat , noticing that there was something different about him this morning ," Oh, I know …Robbie , what happened to your hair ?"

She reached up , touching the springy curl then noticed the rest was straight , scrunching up her nose in distaste as she pulled her hand away . " Yuk "

" It isn't that bad …" grumbled a disappointed Robbie , sad behind his eyes .

" Your hair ..it isn't soft like it usually is ….," says Cat ," I don't like it "

" It has hair gel in it, Cat ," pointed out Robbie ," what is it now that you don't like ? I thought this was the cool guy look …what, my hair still isn't cool enough for you ?"

A hurt expression flashed across her face , not understanding why he was upset .

" Why are you being mean to me, Robbie ?"

" Way to go, spazzo " darted Rex , earning him a vicious glare from Robbie .

" I'm not ," answered a frustrated Robbie , shoving Rex into his locker and ignoring the insults he was throwing ," look, I'm sorry, Cat , but you know something ..Roxanne likes my new hair . She thinks it is sexy "

Cat's brows furrowed ," Who is Roxanne ? "

" My new girlfriend ," answered Robbie, proudly ," come on, Cat, or we'll be late for Sikowitz's class "

" Girlfriend " repeated Cat, under her breath .

She followed Robbie into the classroom which was quite informal and much like their favorite teacher . There was a small stage in the front and a circle of chairs surrounding it.

Sikowitz beat his own drum, if he even played an instrument, and he was a bit odd with his wild hair and strange outfits but he was a brilliant teacher .

Cat waved at her friends and took a seat in the front .

Robbie noticed that his friends were already seated as he grabbed a chair .

" Hey guys … " greeted Robbie, giving them a wave.

Tori and Andre were sitting together and chatting pretty much like normal .

Jade lifted a brow at him, acknowledging his presence which was enough . She was slumped in her chair , an aloof expression replacing the scowl and Beck sat behind her, an impassive expression on his face.

They were both trying to avoid looking at the other person.

Tori turned around in her seat and let out a gasp . " Robbie , your hair ..it looks great ! "

" Thanks, Tori ," Robbie was grateful her kindness ," just something the new girlfriend wanted me to try . I mean, she thought I could ..totally rock this look "

" It's cool ," picked up Andre , casually ," so you and North Ridge ?"

" Worked out in my favor , for a change " boasted Robbie ," she likes me "

" Way to go, Rob " contributed Beck, joining the conversation .

Cat played with the end of her hair , twisting it around her finger .

" Her name is Roxanne " informed Cat, her tone higher than normal .

" She's a babe " admitted Robbie , pulling out his cell phone to show his friends a picture he had taken of them together over the weekend .

" She's a blonde gank " tossed in Jade, helpfully .

" Roxie isn't a gank," corrected Robbie ," why would you even say that, Jade ? Okay..never mind..stupid question ..it is you "

Cat turned and looked at her best friend . " Jadey, how do you know what color Robbie's girlfriend's hair is ? "

" Coffee ," explained an annoyed Jade ," I was having coffee and working on my script when Rob here decided to drop in and ruin my night . Do you know how painful it was to watch him beg for scraps from the blonde gank ? Not the kind of pain I enjoy either ..the kind that makes me want to rip his eyeballs out of the sockets and feed it to fish "

Tori made a face ," That is gross , Jade . Even for you "

" Oh so she's blonde and pretty " muttered Cat, glancing once more at Robbie .

He seemed awfully cheerful and happy today as he regaled Andre and Beck with the details of his date. She tried not to listen .

Sikowitz burst into the room, his hair wild and all over the place and today's outfit was dark blue and orange plaid cotton pants , a loud Hawaiian print shirt , and a yellow tee shirt underneath . His trademark coconut juice in his hand .

" Okay, glad to see none of you wound up arrested or worse over the weekend ," greeted the drama teacher ," and I have exciting news about your new assignment "

" We're going to pretend to be the statues in the Night of the Museum cause I always thought it would be fun to be the monkey " laughed Cat , happily .

" No but good one, Cat ," told Sikowitz ," no , romance is in the air . Love, tears, happiness, sadness, angst, the funny and the pain and heartache of it all …"

" We're doing love scenes ?' offered an excited Jade .

When she and Beck were together ,she had pushed for this and had been told no .

Figures Sikowitz would pick now to change his damn mind .

" No, not right now, Jade ," continued the teacher ," I realized while I was in the midst of my own date with the lovely Beatrice that we have only touched upon one emotion. We didn't touch much however so to make up for it we are going to do a month long class of potential romantic scenarios you might as actors be called upon to portray "

" OOOOh are we going to act out all of the romantic movies cause I love them ," sighed Cat ," the romance and true love is what I want too "

" Don't we all, Cat " agreed tori, stealing a side long glance at Andre .

" I don't want to play no cookie cutter hero nerd or Matthew McCaughey " said Andre

Jade growled because this acting experience wouldn't be any fun without Beck.

Not that she needed Beck, cause she was good without him.

Beck put his hands on the back of her chair and leaned forward to talk to her , quietly .

" Not even Practical Magic "

Jade whirled on him, dark hair flowing as she moved . " Beckett , don't even say it "

His lips twitched ," It doesn't make you weak, Jade "

" Why are we even talking about this ?" Jade glared at him and turned her attention anywhere but to him. Pretending he didn't exist was getting to her.

" I thought we could still talk ….." Beck was quiet .

Jade said nothing . She didn't know if she could manage that either but she wasn't about to let him know that either .

It hurt too much .

" Couples , want to see ," Sikowitz rubbed his chin ," let's see, Tori and Andre, Cat with Robbie , and Beck and Jade ..the rest of you pair up "

" Couples …" repeated Andre , a question in his voice .

" This ought to be awkward but we can act " assured Tori, simply .

Jade fumed and addrrressed the teacher . " Sikowitz , you cant do this ! Beck and I cant do this …we're not together anymore "

" Sorry, jade, but as actors you have to put your past relationship aside for your professional gigs ," explained Sikowitz," you and Beck will just have to deal "

" This sucks " remarked a disgruntled Jade ," I hate you "

Sikowitz ignored the Goth girl and nodded to himself, pleased that the reactions were what he was expecting from his favorite group of kids .

" First off, I want Cat and Robbie on the stage " ordered the teacher as they made their way to the center of the stage . He considered the scene , took a sip of his coconut for muse and knew instantly ," okay we're knee deep in South around oh Civil War time ."

" I love the Civil War " commented Robbie , more to himself .

" Robbie you're a visiting writer from the North who came into the south ," said sikowitz off the top of his head ," you and Cat met and fell in love. War has broken out and your going to fight …your saying your goodbyes "

He paused for affect," make me believe it "

Robbie nodded , considered , and stepped forward to pull Cat closer to him .

He would be a gentleman .

Cat smiled up sweetly at him and all coherent thought fled from his mind as it registered how right it felt to have her in his arms . She was so small and perfect .

" Robbie , the scene ..did you forget ?' whispered Cat , holding his arms .

" I have to do this, sweetheart ," declared a passionate Robbie ," for what is right , for honor and for us to have a future together . God, I hate to leave you…."

She moved forward in his embrace , adapting a southern accent for her character .

" Robbie, you mustn't leave me ," pleaded Cat ," I am so frightened without you. "

" Once the war is over , I will come back and we can finally be married ," declared Robbie , " I love you so much, Caterina . Never forget how much I love you "

" I love you too " added Cat, eyes downcast, shyly .

" Good , good ," urged Sikowitz ," more "

" Don't ever forget me ….our love " said Robbie , pulling her into his arms, tightly .

The scene blurred in his mind but he didn't care , this might be the only chance he had so he just went with it . Cat would never know it wasn't an act .

He turned , Cat's eyes were wide and sparkling with unshed tears, and he was beguiled by her . Robbie bent and captured her lips in a kiss that took them both under, drowning in the sea of all of the emotions swimming in his veins for her .

It was warmth, heat, need, and tenderness and letting out a sigh against his lips, Cat wound her arms around his neck and returned his kisses, eagerly .

Forgotten was the fact that they were in drama class and they weren't alone .

" Impressive " Sikowitz applauded , pleased at their performance .

" What the hell " commented Jade as neither Cat nor Robbie broke the kiss .

" Go for it , Robbie " Andre joined in, earning him a glare from Tori .

" That could be us , Andre " pointed out the brunette .

" I'm cool with that ' Andre muttered so she couldn't hear him.

" Whoa ….long kiss " this came from Beck, who stole a look at Jade .

" Am I the only one who thinks this looks real ?" questioned Tori of the kiss .

" Don't be absurd, tori ," corrected Sikowitz," that is a most impressive stage kiss "

" That's been going on for like five minutes now " added Andre

" Probably because it is real, Tori " observed Jade, pointedly .

The bell rang out, startling Cat and Robbie from their scene , as Sikowitz dismissed them.

Robbie let go of Cat and she stumbled, weak in the knees and turned her brown eyes up at him.

" Robbie " Her voice was barely a whisper as she was literally stunned from their kiss .

He straightened his glasses and felt heat flood his face . He had got carried away , forgotten it was supposed to be pretend and put everything into the kiss .

" You don't have to say anything ," reminded Robbie ," I know it was just a stage kiss "

He all but ran out of the class , until he hit the hall . " Breathe, Robbie "

Cat hadn't moved from her spot, still watching for Robbie, and touching her lips .

Tori and Jade approached their friend, concern etched on their faces . " Cat "

" You alright ? " asked jade ," that was a hell of a stage kiss "

Cat shook her head . " Not a stage kiss …didn't know Robbie could kiss like that….he made me all melty . Pretty sure my toes curled too…wow "

Tori and Jade shared a look. " I ..didn't think you liked Robbie ..like that "

Cat touched her lips and wrung her hands together . " I don't …I mean, I didn't ," murmured a confused Cat ," we're friends . It's Robbie ..and I …I have never been kissed like that by any boy ever "


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer : Nope, still don't own Victorious .

" Robbie, dude," called out Andre, glancing at Tori and Jade who were talking with Cat ," hold up a sec, man. You in a hurry or something ?"

He caught up with his friend near the stairs . " Robbie "

Robbie stopped and heaved a heavy hearted sigh," Only yet another embarrassing moment of my life , Andre "

" Say what ?" Andre sent him a dubious look.

" Never mind …." dismissed Robbie, wondering if Cat even had a reaction at all.

Probably not …she was immune to him.

" You really kissed Cat back there " brought up Andre, waiting for confirmation .

Robbie nodded. " It isn't a big deal…I got carried away and forgot that it was all an act "

He sighed, again. " Just an act cause I'm a good actor "

" Well, I think Cat got carried away with you " pointed out Andre , matter of fact.

" No, because Cat is a better actor than I am ….." said Robbie ," plus you heard her , she gets into all those romantic scenes and movies …..she loves that stuff "

" Forgetting the whole acting part ," told Andre ,' where I was sitting , Robbie , the girl looked like she was into kissing you …"

A wistful thought crossed across his face then disappeared .

" We're just friends "

" I know you like the girl " stated Andre, cause it was a fact .

" It doesn't matter anymore ," dismissed Robbie ," I shouldn't have kissed her like that in the first place . Guess I just needed to get Cat out of my system …"

" Why ?"

" Just forget about it ," told Robbie ," besides I have a classy and hot girlfriend now so I can't be thinking about Cat all of the time …I need to move on "

" Again, why?" repeated Andre, not getting his friends logic .

" Roxanne ," stressed Robbie, holding out his phone and the picture of the blonde he was dating ," she is the reason why ….see "

" You just met the girl "

" It doesn't matter ….she is my girlfriend now " insisted Robbie, strongly .

" I think you need to wait and find out what Cat has to say first " added Andre

" Look, I appreciate the support but I don't want to talk about this ," stated Robbie , changing the subject," why don't we talk about how your going to handle all of the romantic stuff between you and Tori "

Andre's eyes widened , he stole a glance at her Make It shine design on her locker, and glanced furtively around then back at his friend .

" Don't know what your talking about . Tori and I ..we're best friends .

Ain't nothing more between us "

" I'm not blind " countered Robbie, pointing to his glasses .

" Shut up "

" So every song you write isn't about Tori ?" Robbie raised a brow , curiously.

" You mind your own business ," babbled Andre ," you keep on having your Cat thoughts and leave Tori out of this "

Robbie opened his palms in a gesture and shrugged , nonchalantly . " Okay "

Lane, the schools guidance counselor , spotted them and veered over to check in with them.

" Don't you guys have some class to be getting to ?" asked Lane , sternly .

" Right " agreed Robbie and Andre and headed down the hallway to class .

" Cat ," Tori jostled her friends arm," your kind of freaking me out here "

" Oh, I'm alright , Tori ," says Cat, twirling her hair ," do you want to know something ?"

Jade and Tori exchanged hesitant expressions as one never knew with Cat where the conversation might go to..

" Sure," picked up Jade ," what is it, Cat ?"

" Robbie has muscles ," muttered Cat with a soft sigh ," I never really noticed it but when he held me …he has muscles . Not like Beck or Andre but I know I felt muscles ….it was really nice when he held me "

Tori frowned . " Oh, okay ..Cat, you've hugged Robbie hundreds of times over the years and this is what your noticing "

Jade shot Tori a filthy look. " Leave the girl alone, Tori . Let her notice what she's noticing …."

" Seriously, Jade , seriously ?" questioned a baffled Tori .

" Yeah " said Jade, " so unless you , er, need my help, Cat, I gotta go "

" Kay kay ," answered a distracted Cat ," I'm fine . You know, I just need to think ..that's what I am gonna go do….I need to think "

" Girls ," interrupted Sikowitz ," not that I'm not fascinated by your sorority but take it to the hallway and think it out there "

The girls exchanged matching looks, retrieved their bags and books and left the room .

Cat scanned the halls for Robbie but he was no where to be found . Her toes still were curly and tingly …and she wanted to see him again and see …she wasn't sure what but that kiss had knocked her upside down .

Tori opened her mouth, considered drilling Cat on the whole thing but decided against it .

Jade strode past them both and into the hall as Beck caught her arm, startling her .

" Jade "

" NO "

" I want to talk "

" I don't ..let go of my arm " ordered Jade, harshly .

He loosened his grip and pulled her in the direction of the janitors closet .

" I'm not your girlfriend anymore . You cant tell me what to do, Beck " She heaved a disgruntled sigh and avoided his soulful gaze that always got to her .

" This is ridiculous " Beck led his ex-girlfriend into the janitors closet, ignoring her protests and the fact that she looked beautiful and almost…vulnerable .

Recognizing her stubborn glare, Beck flipped the lock, in case she decided to bolt.

" you know I'm right …."

Jade crossed her arms over her chest and tried to act indifferent as if his presence didn't still affect every pore in her body , let alone her heart.

" Okay, we're here ," spoke up Jade ," what exactly do you want to talk about ?"

His voice was calm but there was a slight hint of uncertainty and she knew he was tense .

Beck was the most relaxed guy she knew but his posture said tense .

She didn't want to think about it or him.

" Are we really gonna keep avoiding each other ? Never talk again ? Make things even more uncomfortable for our friends ?"

Jade's voice was low. " I don't know …seems to be working for me "

It was a lie but she wasn't about to let him know the truth . Beck knew all of her secrets and weaknesses as it was .

" It isn't working and I don't like it , Jade ' countered beck, aggravated by her lack of emotion .

Jade rolled her eyes, upwards. " Beck doesn't like something …news alert. Here is one you should know..I don't care anymore "

Beck took another step closer and she held her ground . " There is no reason you and I can't still talk….can't still sit together with our friends at lunch, Jade "

She bit her bottom lip, tasting blood. " Maybe you can, Beckett , but I won't…now unlock the damn door before I kick it down "

" We were friends first, Jade "

" Liar ," accused Jade , fighting tears ," you know the truth "

She moved past him, their shoulders touching , she flipped the lock, and let herself back into the hallway , and the noise and activity of Hollywood Arts .

Jade swallowed the tears , reached blindly for the necklace hidden beneath her shirt , and clutched it tightly in her hand . It was the same necklace that Beck had given her for their second anniversary -he had one too- and right now it was her lifeline to not doing something drastic.

Damn you , Beck Oliver .

The Asphalt café was an outdoor café on the quad, complete with Festus's Grub Truck that served the best burritos in Hollywood, a stage on the mezzanine should any of the students feel the urge to belt out a song during lunch , and the local meeting spot .

Robbie , minus Rex, had wandered outside to the familiar table, after his last class had let out and he was the first to arrive at the gangs usual table . He nursed a soda and brooded.

Rex had been on his case non-stop since the 'Cat incident " so Robbie had just shoved him back into the locker , not in the mood to be berated today .

Though he and Cat shared pretty much the same classes , he had still done a good job of managing to avoid talking to her since the acting class .

However having had time to contemplate it, he was now afraid of what she might have to say or worse , that he had hurt her feelings .

Cat was so super sensitive and it felt as if someone was stomping on his chest even if he had accidentally hurt her feelings . It was awful.

Robbie's cell went off , alerting him of a new text.

Smiling , he realized it was from Roxanne .

Curious , Robbie opened the text, hoping for maybe something flirty or a declaration of love even though he knew it would be neither of those things .

It was much too soon .

**Take me to Caruso's for supper this evening **

Robbie blew out a breath and considered how much money he had to live on this month .

Probably not enough for the fancy Italian restaurant .

The woman was North Ridge and had expensive taste .

**How about Nozu for sushi ?**

He texted her back, hoping Roxie would agree to a compromise .

A shadow fell across the shadow and the sweet smell of vanilla as well .

" Robbie , are you mad at me ?" asked Cat, her tone clearly upset as she sat down beside him at the picnic table ," first, you kiss me in Sikowitz class then you run away . I swear , it feels like you have been avoiding me ..have you?"

" Robbie "

" I've always liked your perfume " blurted out Robbie, not thinking .

Her pink lips curved into a sweet smile . " Thanks, Robbie, that's very sweet "

Robbie wanted to hit himself over the head with a sharp object. Why did he tell her that ?

Rex was right . He was an idiot !

" No," answered Robbie ," I swear , I would never do that…not on purpose , Cat . I ..the thing is ..I am having a bad day "

Cat frowned , confused . " Kissing me made your day bad ?"

He groaned, inwardly . Why was Cat not mad at him for the kiss ? He could handle that .

Girls were always mad at him because he kissed them yet Cat wasn't acting mad .

He didn't get it .

" No, it wasn't that…it was something else " Robbie laughed , nervously ," why would I avoid you ? We had a stage kiss …got the art of that down now ..fake kiss "

Cat placed her hand over his , gently and turned her big, brown eyes up at him.

" Robbie , I've been stage kissed a lot ," says Cat, innocently," I know how a stage kiss feels …when you kissed me ..it felt ..real "

" You don't have to try to explain to me,Cat , " went on Robbie ," I wasn't gonna make anything out of it ….I know we're friends "

" I liked when you kissed me " says Cat, being honest with him. She had spent all morning trying to understand it and had come to the conclusion , that kissing Robbie had been really nice . Nice was probably not even the right word for it .

He hadn't been expecting that. " You..did ? " He looked around , for the rest of their friends ," this isn't a joke ? Your not just saying this ..then Jade will come around and slam me in the gut for being gullible and believing you ?"

Cat shook her head ," you made my toes curl "

Robbie got that this was girl speak and a good thing . " Really ?"

His cell went off and he noticed it was Roxanne ," Cat, its Roxie, just give me a minute to make our plans for supper . She wants me to take her out tonight …one minute "

Cat removed her hand ," Oh, right, I forgot you have a new girlfriend "

Maybe she was being silly to want to test things between her and Robbie . Just because she realized she was attracted to him , it didn't mean she should ask him if they could maybe see if they could be more than friends .

He had a new girlfriend and she wasn't a bad girl .

Meanwhile Beck and Jade had gotten their lunch and were heading in the directions of the table when Jade noticed what appeared to be an intense conversation with Cat and Robbie.

" Wait " Jade grabbed his arm," just give it a minute "

" Your touching my arm " Beck pointed out and she dropped it like it was on fire ," and why are ..should I wait ?"

" Cat is talking with Rob ," said Jade ," she's been quiet since the kiss this morning . Give them a few minutes to..I don't know …talk "

Surprised , Beck turned to stare at her . " You care about them ?"

Jade wouldn't meet his eyes and tried to look away . " Whatever…loook, they are ..sort of..my friends too "

Beck smiled at her admission as a bit of the real Jade seeped out for him to notice .

It was a rarity and it took him back to one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her in the first place.

It seemed so long ago and far away .

" nice "

" I still have new scissors " remarked Jade , taking a drink of her third coffee .

Beck ignored her ," Minutes up "

" Hey, guys ," greeted Beck, joining them at the table ," what's going on ?"

' Uh, nothing ," says Cat, a little too brightly ," Robbie is texting his new girlfriend . Isn't that nice ? "

" Your not stalking the new girlfriend , man ?" inquired Beck, noticing that Robbie seemed distracted and kept staring at Cat when she wasn't paying attention .

" Nope , learned my lesson the hard way ," answered Robbie, " actually Roxie wants me to take her out for supper tonight . She apparently is a girl who has her heart set on pasta because when I suggested I didn't have that kind of money right now, girl got pretty persistent . She's coming around to my side..I can afford Nozu right now "

" Gank " said Jade , sitting on the other side of Cat ," and I am not here because of what you said, Beck. I am here ..because Cat asked me to..have lunch with her "

Cat looked at her best friend ." I did ? Oh, goody "

Jade smiled, tersely. " Yeah, and Robbie, the gank is gonna be nothing but trouble "

" You don't even know her " accused Robbie ," and she isn't a gank "

" I have good judgement ," answered Jade , matter of fact ," look at how I called it about ..Tori . Wasn't I right ?"

" Love you too, Jade " Tori remarked , tossing her brown hair over her shoulder as she and Andre joined their friends ," am I the only one freaked over this month long acting exercise for sikowitz /? I mean, we never do something longer than maybe a week ….sometimes its two days and why does he want us to pretend romance ?"

Andre placed a hand on her arm. " Tor, relax, I think it's going to be a blast "

" I don't understand you " said Tori ," though I must say Cat and Robbie got us off to a good start with that kiss …'

" I'm not hungry " announced Cat , suddenly getting up and running inside the school .

Robbie frowned ," I think I accidentally hurt her feelings but she'll be fine "

" What did she tell you ?" asked Jade, through clenched teeth .

" Nothing ," answered a nonchalant Robbie ," so , guys , I have a date with Roxie tonight "

" We're happy for you, Robbie , and don't forget to leave the puppet at home " told Tori, not unkindly ," I am sure the North Ridge girl will like him even less than we do "

" understand " agreed Robbie , wondering briefly why Cat had taken off .

He would never understand girls .

Then Beck and Andre got discussing possible skits Sikowitz could have them perform, while Tori interjected with her own nervousness , and Jade stabbed her food , violently .

Robbie , fearful that he had managed to hurt Cat, sent her a cheerful smiley face text, and hoped things just got back to normal again .

However he needed to be positive here and he would be ..hadn't Lane been lecturing him about his confidence issues for years ?

Robbie was confident and now he had a girlfriend to show from it .

Life was good .


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer : I still don't own Victorious or it would be an hour long episode .

Nozu with Roxanne .

Robbie was uncomfortable .

Which made no sense to him as this should have been a very exciting night, an official real date with the new girlfriend, and not a coffee date of their first meeting .

He had dressed in his best jeans and a loose blue chambray shirt , but after picking Roxanne up, he realized he wasn't dressed nice enough.

Apparently , he should have asked one of the guys or Cat for advice .

Roxanne looked hot and gorgeous .

He still couldn't get over the fact that she was here willingly with him.

She wore a short, white silk dress with flashy, expensive gold heels .

" You look just beautiful, Roxie " complimented Robbie, remembering his manners .

" Of course, and please, stop calling me Roxie ," snapped Roxanne , taking a sip of her green tea," do I look like some trashy Army wife ?"

" Sorry, I just thought since you call me Robert ," he hedged ," I could call you..Roxie …you know , like cute ..pet names for each other "

" I'm not really into that ," Roxanne reached across the table and fiddled with his glasses," Robert, you have such nice eyes …is there a reason you wear these glasses ?"

" Uh, I cant really see all that much …without them "

" I bet that you would look even more handsome ," Roxanne reached over, holding his hand ," with contacts . I can just imagine …very dashing on you "

Robbie blushed at the compliment though one part of him was bothered that she kept making suggestions about his appearance . After all, she had insisted she liked that he was a geek and well, his glasses did help to make him one .

" I ..can't really ..wear things in my eyes. See, contacts would bug me ….I could ..break out ..I mean, it's a possibility "

" Oh, your being a bit overdramatic, " Roxanne ran a hand through his now straight hair and kissed him," must be the actor in you. Would you please wear the contacts for me, Robert ? I have to know that you believe in ..my judgment "

Robbie grinned ," of course, I do, Roxanne , if it pleases you …."

" You are so sweet, Robert ," Roxanne moved closer to him," and this is the quaintest, little sushi place I have ever been to "

" I am glad you like it," replied Robbie ," my friends and I come here a lot. The food is good and they have karaoke ….."

" Cool," answered Roxanne , tracing circles on his hand with her fingernail ," I bet that you are an amazing singer ….aren't you ?"

" I'm okay , I mean , I'm not bad ," replied a modest Robbie ," singing is more my pal, Andre's thing , but I don't suck at it . I have been practicing my singing a lot with Cat lately so..you know, I sound a lot better now "

" Sounds like you have fascinating friends at Hollywood arts " told Roxanne ," you know, Robert, I really like that you aren't the average geek . It is so refreshing from all of the jerks at North Ridge that I have dated …"

" I don't think I have ever been told that before, " admitted Robbie ," nope, pretty sure that's a first for me …."

" Well, you should get used to compliments , Robert " cooed Roxanne ," after all,

You are my boyfriend now. " She paused to smile , brilliantly at him, " and I just find your hair super sexy like that. I just cannot wait to show you off to all of my friends …"

" Rex might know some of your friends " blurted out Robbie , forgetting himself and falling back on Rex to save him . Except that he had left him at home .

Daren't !

" Who is this Rex person ?" questioned a curious Roxanne ," oh, wait, is that the dude that introduced us online ? He has a lot of followers on the Slap ….."

" Yes "

Robbie was saved from trying to explain when his cell blasted a cheerful tune .

Cat .

She glared at him as he pulled the pear phone out of his pocket. " Uh, sorry "

" It's my friend " explained Robbie, relieved that Cat still wasn't upset with him if she was texting him," I just need to answer her….wont take long "

Cat's text was short and sweet, much like she was.

**Robbie ,**

**I bought that old love story AN Affair to Remember **

**Thought you and I could watch it together this week to help with our assignment .**

**Plus it 'll be fun for movie night **

One would have never known that Cat Valentine loved old, sappy romance movies unless they took the time to get to know her . Since they shared the same theatre class, they had discovered last year they had very similar taste in movies and began hanging out every once and a while and watching them together .

**My house this time **

**It might be sad, Cat, so bring the tissues **

" I think you've done enough texting, Robert ," stated a put upon Roxanne ," we are on a date . It is quite rude for you to be on your phone . I really don't want you texting anyone but me …"

**Robbie **frowned as he sent the text to Cat and gave his girlfriend a contrite smile .

" **I'm sorry , babe ," **replied Robbie ," it was for a school project. "

" Just don't ever do it again, Robert, and we will get on with our date "

Robbie could only oblige her and try to **make a **better effort to get to know her better.

Meanwhile at the Vega house in the Hollywood hills, Andre Harris was playing at his portable keyboard while he watched Tori pace restlessly around the living room.

" Why do you suppose Sikowitz is making us spend a whole month on this whole romance exercise ," speculated Tori ," and what did Jade mean by ..love scene ? Love scene ..like ..you know …or scenes with characters who are in love ?"

" Don't know anything more than I did the last fifty times you asked me at school," answered Andre ," it could be anything . Stop spazzin, girl "

Tori plopped down on the couch across from him, putting her feet up . " I know ," whined a worried Tori ," its just got me ..buggin, Andre "

Before he could come up with a response, tori had switched gears . " Then it doesn't help that I don't know what to do about Cat ," went on Tori, who was on a roll ," Cat has been all weird ….and I mean, weird since Robbie kissed her "

" Good weird or bad weird ? Cause you know Lil Red has her own unique "

" I know, I don't know ….she says Robbie has muscles ," implored Tori ," Andre, she is talking about Robbie here !"

Andre moved his keyboard and moved near to his best friend, folding his hands , together .

" I know your gonna think I've lost my chiz but Rob would treat the girl right "

" You right , you are ," Tori gaped incredulously at him ," Andre, think about this…Cat's been turning Robbie down for dates since I have known them . Its unnatural …"

" Things change, people change ," Andre gave in to temptation and touched her arm, and an electric surge sizzled through his arm and the rest of his body from the mere touch ," happens all the time, Tor "

Tori made a face , confused ," What ?"

Andre didn't think, in a flash , he moved in and crashed his lips into hers, startling her , and he let her go, quickly . " Oh my God ….! "

" Andre ?"

Andre gulped and backed away from her , scared to death he had screwed up their friends hip by acting on his impulses .

Damn his impulses and control .

" Tori "

Tori felt as if her whole world as she knew it was turned upside down ….Andre , kissed her and …there was absolutely no acting involved in it.

This she was almost 100 % positive ..since they weren't acting .

" Why'd ….why'd you ..do that ?"

" oh man, oh man ," Andre dragged a hand across his face, ' " I knew you'd be freaked ..and now I'm freaked …so we're both gonna be awkward ..like Beck and jade . "

" You ..kissed me …." pointed out Tori, staring at him," and don't bring Beck and Jade into this …are you trying to prove a point ? I usually know how your mind works ..except this time I have no clue..none, Andre "

" look this isn't anything …" argued Andre, trying to find his head again," I couldn't help it…just something I had to do …im a chizzin fool "

" You're my best friend, Andre " repeated Tori , though she could have sworn there was a moment , a flash of something that could have been a spark between them.

His face fell ." I know …why did I have to go and make things all..weird between us "

Andre began pacing nervously around the living room considered bolting out the door .

He could be a coward.

Man, now you've gone and ruined everything with you and tori .

Smooth, Harris, real smooth.

" Andre..just …give me a minute …to process " muttered a thoughtful Tori .

" I gotta ..go …Grandma needs me ," lied a panicked Andre , grabbing his keyboard ," see you at school tommyrot ..bye "

" Andre, wait ," called Tori , hands on her hips ," we have to talk about this ! Are you taking lessons off of Robbie now ? Andre , come back here "

She watched as he took off as fast as he could , anywhere but here .

" Andre " Tori sat down, confused and dejected , on the couch .

" Tori, you are ruining my concentration ," Trina came down the stairs and found her younger sister wearing a bummed out expression on her face," where's Andre ? I thought I heard you two…fighting "

Tori heaved a sigh," He left …after he ..kissed me , Trina "

Trina , who was generally as self absorbed as they came, found a warm smile gracing her features as she patted her sisters knee. " About freaking time "

" Trina ! " Tori was aghast ," what do you mean ? Andre is my best friend "

" Tori, baby sister ," Trina gave her an indulgent smile ," how many love songs has the dude written for you ? This is why I am the smarter and more talented of us both…honey, that boy is crazy for you "

" I don't know what to do ….I don't want to ruin our friend ship " admitted Tori , " I mean, look at what happened with Beck and jade "

" Well, think about it , baby sister , while I go buy us some frozen yogurt " said Trina, helpfully. For once, she felt like the big sister and that she was needed .

It was nice for a change and Trina was going to be there for Tori.

" You don't see Jade anywhere , do you ?" asked a suspicious Tori, glancing out the glass sliding door as if expecting to find her sister wielding friend ready to pounce .

" Now your being paranoid ," Trina shoved her towards the door ," if I were you, I wouldn't be freaking too hard. I could think of a lot worse things , little sister , than having a guy as fine as Andre Harris lay a kiss on me "

" Don't even think about it, Trina " warned Tori, a hint of jealousy in her tone .

Me and Andre ?

Frozen yogurt wasn't the solver of all problems but it might help her to make sense of things .


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Still don't own Victorious but am enjoying playing around in HA.

Tori Vega was Buggin.

She had gotten to Hollywood Arts an hour early , awaiting the arrival of her best friend, who hadn't answered any of the texts that she had sent him the previous night , regarding the impulsive and surprise kiss between them in her living room.

After much agonizing and inner debating with herself, and Trina interjecting her own opinions, Tori was only a little more clear on where she stood on this thing .

She was dying to talk to Andre and he wasn't here yet !

Was he ignoring her text ? Andre would never do that…not to her, anyway.

She paced restlessly around the lockers when Cat spotted her and approached .

" Hi Tori " greeted Cat, cheerfully ," what are you doing ?"

" Nothing ..waiting for Andre " answered Tori, glancing down the hallway ," have you heard from him ?"

" I think he was riding with Beck to school today " answered Cat ," why are you acting all ..weird this morning, Tori ? "

She noticed her friend was acting not quite herself and she was a lot more perspective than she was often given credit for being .

" Weird ," repeated Tori , shaking her brown hair ," there's no weird here, Cat "

" Did you and Andre get into a fight ? " inquired a curious Cat, glancing towards Robbie's locker but he wasn't here yet either .

" No..no fight ," answered Tori, quickly as if Cat would recognize it was more than a fight," what's up with you ? "

" Oh, nothing , just hanging out too," says Cat ," I thought Robbie might like to go for iced coffees before Sikowitz's class but he's not here yet . I hope he and Rex aren't still fighting …."

" I'm sure they are …oh, there's the guys " said Tori, spotting Beck and Andre as they entered the school, talking .

She refrained from meeting them at the door and demanding answers from Andre .

Andre had broken down and told his best friend what had gone down the previous night .

Beck was always a good sounding board .

" I don't know why I did it, man ," explained Andre ," I could blame it on Rob but that's a total cop out ….I've been freaking out all night over the whole thing "

Beck gave him a look that spoke volumes . " No idea, dude . Really ?"

" Okay, you don't have to be cruel ," said André ," I know why I did it …but now there is this weirdness between me and Tori that I caused . I cant handle it , Beck, I cant "

" I imagined me and Tori a couple hundreds of ways but this ..weirdness wasn't how it went down in my dreams . " A slow grin found its way across his mouth," We were real good together in the dreams "

" I bet …." chuckled Beck , knowingly ," you could start by saying hi Tori "

They stopped in front of the lockers where Tori and Cat were chatting .

Jade was no where to be seen…probably nursing her morning coffee.

" Hi …Tori " said Andre, meeting her questioning gaze.

" Hi guys " greeted Tori," Andre, did your phone die or are you just ignoring me ?"

" Oh chizz …." groaned André, detecting irritation in her voice .

" Come on, Cat , " Beck grabbed his friends arm," you can tell me …what weird and amusing thing your brother did that I don't really want to know about …."

Cat considered his words, frowned at him , but followed him to the lockers so that Andre and Tori could have some privacy .

" You could have just told me they wanted to talk alone, Beck "

" Right …sorry ," said Beck, casually," so, have you seen Jade this morning ? "

" I think she's drinking her coffee …" answered Cat ," you know, like she always does "

It really annoyed him that he missed her this much in the mornings ….they had some of their best times as a couple in the mornings .

He really needed to move on and date other girls …he had plenty of options available .

Meanwhile, Tori glowered at her best friend , holding her books in front of her as a shield .

" Andre, you ignored all of my texts ! All twelve of them…how could you ?"

He didn't look at her ." Sorry ," spoke up Andre ," guess I was embarrassed about things . Figured you were hating on me about now …."

" I could never hate you, Andre ," Tori touched a hand to his arm and this time, they both felt that sizzle of electricity between them ," I was ..surprised "

Andre nodded, tiredly ." Why don't we just forget that it happened ? Get things back to normal with us…..you know, get rid of all of the tension "

" You want to forget about the kiss ?" asked a hesitant Tori , who hadn't been thinking of anything else besides the kiss since he had laid it on her .

" Sure, that's cool cause our friendship is more important to me then maybes "

" I don't know if I just want to ..brush it under a rug, Andre " told Tori, honestly .

Andre blinked , met her gaze , holding it for longer than normal and inched closer .

" You playing with me, girl ?"

Tori stepped closer to him. " No," answered Tori,," I'll admit that I was freaked and shocked , at first, Andre, but I wont lie. I liked it …."

" You were freaking "

" You had just kissed me ! Then after you ran off …I had time to think about it ," went on Tori ," and I decided I liked the kiss but I need to know something first "

" I aint got no secrets . Ask me anything, Tori "

Tori wrestled with her emotions but had to know for her own sanity. " Was kissing me was it like your little …thing ..your crush on Jade ? "

Several months back, Jade had helped Andre with his new duet he had written and along the way, Andre had developed a thing for her . It hadn't gone anywhere , and the only person he had told had been Tori, but it had been something else .

" Don't say that out loud ," Hissed Andre ," still no need to bring that up "

" I had to , alright !"

" No, no," insisted Andre, truthfully ," it isn't anything like that "

He grew serious and sincere . " I like you, Tori. I have for a while now and I feel like there is something here between you and me …honestly, I'd like to explore it "

" Good ," managed tori, taking in his surprised expression ," me too . Just as long as whatever happens between us, we be cool and remain friends . I don't want us to be bitter , hateful people like Jade and Beck…."

" You wanna try us ?' repeated Andre, making sure he heard her correct.

" Yes, that's what I said ," stated a brave tori ," Andre ?"

He enveloped her in a warm hug ." Good . How slow we talking here , Tor?"

Tori kissed his lips, lightly. " Slow but not snail crawl "

" Think you and I can handle that " Andre offered her his hand and they headed for acting class ," and totally with the friends forever thing . "

" Glad to hear it " Tori smiled at him , enjoying their clasped hands .

" Interesting new development there " pointed out Beck, of Tori and Andre to Cat ," I'm going to class "

Jade walked past him, coffee in hand, avoiding his gaze .

" Jade , good morning " Beck tried , though why he continued to ask himself , daily .

" No" responded Jade, slamming the door in his face as she entered Sikowitz class.

" So good to be hated " remarked Beck, to himself , upon going to class .

" Takes too much work to look this cool ," grumbled Robbie ," I need to find out how Beck's hair always looks this cool .."

He hurried into Hollywood Arts with Rex on his case the whole time .

" Loser ," retorted Rex , glibly ," shell out some dough at the sa-lon and get that mop permantly straightened "

" No," answered Robbie ," I am not wasting 75 dollars at a fancy , over-priced salon when I can do my hair at home with mom's straight iron .."

" That is why you are a wazbag "

" That is it ," retorted an angry Robbie," I've had enough this morning . Your going into the backpack..I'm not listening to this "

" No, Rob, no " protested Rex as Robbie stuffed his body into the pack , zipping it up.

" Was Rex bad this morning ?" spoke up Cat , who was standing beside his locker, a sweet smile across her pretty face.

" He has a bad attitude this morning ," answered Robbie , returning her smile ," what's up with you, Cat ?"

" Nothing ….I think Andre and Tori might be dating now but I'm not sure ," says Cat, twisting her hands together ," I thought we could walk to class together …and why is your hair straight again ?"

Robbie tried to process. " Andre and Tori ? Yeparrooni , that is good news "

" You don't look like yourself with your hair like that " pointed out Cat , really not liking this new look with his hair.

Robbie groaned ." Yes, Cat, my hair is straight . I happen to like it like this and you know what, I might seriously keep it this way because it is my hair so you might as well get used to it ….."

Hurt crossed her face at his harsh words. " What is that supposed to mean?"

" It means that my girlfriend thinks my hair is sexy like this ," retorted Robbie ," and she is the only one I have to please . It is no different, Cat, than when you dressed up all sexy and beautiful for one of your dozen boyfriends …."

" I don't have a boyfriend right now ! "

" You know what I mean ! I don't care if you don't like it , I do ! "

" I don't understand how you can be so mean to me, Robbie !"

Robbie looked at her, her pretty face scrunched up and sad, and wanted to kick himself for his behavior but that was the old Robbie. The new Robert had to be cool.

Besides why was Cat so fixated on his stupid hair anyway ?

She had never mentioned anything about it ever in the three years they had known one another ..what was the big deal now ?

" Roxanne loves my hair like this " said Robbie , softer this time," that is all I meant, Cat. I don't want to fight with you..over my hair ….its stupid "

She wondered for a second if Robbie meant that she was stupid . Granted , she wasn't as smart as he was or Tori and Jade for that manner but he had never treated her like she was dumb before either .

Cat didn't know what to think so she grew quiet .

" I understand, Robbie . Your doing this for Roxanne like that time you tried to be all cool to try and impress Tori …."

During one of Robbie's crush phases on Tori, he had slicked his hair back and tried to be a poor imitation of the dude she was dating at the time .

It had been a dumb idea then and had made him realize that he and Tori were much better off being good friends .

In fact, he and the Vega sisters were plain friends .

" Exactly ," Robbie reached for her arm ," come on, we should get to class "

Cat frowned at him, shook off his arm, and moved away from him.

She didn't much care for his new attitude very much at all.

" I think I want to walk by myself, Robbie "

" Cat ! What did I do ? "

All eyes turned on Robbie as he took a seat beside Jade, who sent him a questioning look.

" Don't ask, " remarked Robbie ," I have no clue "

Cat had taken a seat beside Tori and Andre , who were holding hands, it appeared .

Tori leaned over, curious ." Why are you mad at Robbie ?"

Cat folded her hands together, primly . " I'm not mad at Robbie ..he's being mean "

" He not saving you from those dream , little kids trying to eat you again, lil Red ?" inquired Andre , also interested in the situation.

" Its nothing " dismissed Cat, cutting him off .

Tori and Andre shared puzzled expressions …what was up with Cat ?

Just then Sikowitz burst in, a vision of creativeness in blue plaid pants and a bright Hawaiian shirt , ever present coconut drink in his hand , as he had caught the last of Robbie and Cat's outburst .

" Ah, the impassionate plea ," announced Sikowitz ," or was it more of a passionate plea? Thoughts ? Anyone ….Jade ?"

Jade crossed her arms over her chest , glanced wickedly at Robbie, a smirk playing across her red lips .

This might be fun.

" Why does it have to be either ?" squeaked out Robbie , pointedly.

" Hmmm," interjected Jade ," I'd say it was passionate "

All of her friends turned around in abject shock and horror at what Jade West was saying while Robbie averted his gaze, Cat blushed .

Only Beck stared quizzically at her and wondered in a quiet voice, meant for her ears only," Jade, what are you playing at ?"

" Nothing ..just stating what saw…go away , Beck "

Beck frowned ," I don't believe you"

" I don't care what you believe…just leave me alone "

" I agree " voiced Sikowitz ," and good call, Jade . Robbie made a surprisingly passionate plea to Cat to stay…."

" Not really …." hedged an uncertain Robbie .

" I wasn't going anywhere " says Cat, helpfully .

" Passion," Sikowitz moved in front of the class, his muse on a roll ," deep , body numbing, heart pounding , all consuming passion and desire ..sometimes love…all rolled into the need to be with the one that makes you passionate in the first place '

" Don't make me puke " this came from Jade

" Oh…my " Tori found herself coloring , avoiding Andre's dark gaze with a shiver .

" So in the theme of passion a feeling that shouldn't be completely foreign to you lusty teenagers ," continued Sikowitz ," that is what our next emotion is . Tori, Cat, stop blushing like tweens …we all know this isn't a foreign concept . I know you've watched the One Tree Hill ….."

" Oh, just start already ….." blurted out an impatient Jade , who had just noticed that Andre and Tori were holding hands ..with each other .

Well, at least, Tori would be off the market now .

" Jade , I know beneath that bitter , twisted façade , there lies a breathing, feeling heart in there ," continued Sikowitz ," and now I am calling upon you to show it to us "

Jade stood up , walking towards the stage ." Fine but I am not playing some pristine , doe eyed little innocent like Cat "

" Doe ? Like a deer …that's funny " giggled Cat, amused , and catching the Sound of Music reference .

" As much as the class and I would enjoy your saccharine sweetness, Jade , I have other plans for you ," decided Sikowitz," Beck, join her "

" No," yelled Jade , angrily," give me Andre . Hell, I'll even take Robbie …"

" Thanks, I think …." muttered Robbie , more to himself than her .

Beck joined his ex-girlfriend on the stage. " Jade, stop ," said ever calm Beck," you're a great actress. We've done hundreds of scenes before …this is no different "

Jade puffed in her cheeks and tried to reign herself in. " I wont pretend ..passion with you"

" You're a brilliant actress and we can do this …." muttered Beck in low undertones .

Her armor was up and Beck knew there was minimal chance of breaking it down .

Tension just vibrated off of her in waves and he was almost ..afraid of acting with her .

" What scene, Sikowitz ? You want us to improve it like Cat and Robbie did ?"

" Yes," Sikowitz tapped his chin, carefully, considering the options ," you two are an estranged married couple during ..the Salem witch trials . Jade is a witch.

Show me the love ..and the passion "

There was a chorus of groans from their friends as they shared the same expression .

Did Sikowitz have a death wish for them all ?

Everyone knew about Jade's fascination with witches but making her and Beck a married couple was just ..bad .

" NO " Jade's voice was flat ," can't I do something else ?

" Jade , no , you may not and your partner is Beck. Continue …."

" Jade ,' replied Beck, leaning in closer to her ," come in, you and I can kill this . I mean, you have always wanted to be a witch…so this is perfect for you "

" I don't want your input, Beckett ," said a terse Jade ," just start the damn scene "

Beck took a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and tried to create these characters and the scene . This was the stuff as an actor that he lived for .

Even if it was with jade…who was his wife..in another life time .

Jade grew impatient ." Samuel "

" Oooh fictional names , I like it " noted an approving Sikowitz .

" Darling, we have to leave the village before nightfall," implored Beck," flee our home for your safety . They ..because you healed little Ben ..I have heard talk among the elders that they believe you are a witch .."

" Fools ," scoffed jade , whirling around," he was a child . I saved him " She pushed her inky black hair off her shoulders, momentarily distracting Beck, " I am not leaving "

" Intriguing but I am not seeing or feeling any estrangement or passion " called out Sikowitz, " bring it , Beck '

" Man, does he have a death wish " vocalized Andre to Robbie ," cause we're the ones gonna be putting up with them after this ..thing "

Beck switched tactics and grabbed jade's arm. " If you wont leave then I must ," Beck found himself saying ," I cant stand by and watch them burn my wife ..my love at the stake …."

Anger and more hurt flowed and filled Jade 's eyes , his play words hitting a chord within her and reminding her of their relationship .

As if she needed any more reminders ..she had them day in, day out .

" You would rather leave me than stay and fight for us ?"

She jerked her arm from his ," Answer the question, dammit "

Beck moved in closer, his breath hot on her face . " This fight cant be won "

Jade's laugh was very bitter ." You're not even trying ….yet you swear you love me …that was all a lie I suppose "

" I have never lied about that " Beck's voice was quiet ," but I wont ..I cannot be an accomplice to your magic, my love "

" Magic " giggled Cat ," I love magic "

" If you truly loved me as you say you do, you wouldn't think of leaving me " Jade didn't know anymore if she was acting or if this was all real .

" I know that you are angry with me ," Beck moved around her , touched her cheek with his hand and felt her tremble ," I am trying to be sensible to save you "

" Save ?"

" Cut ," interrupted sikowitz, disappointed ," this is staid and boring . No passion ..which I must say shocks me to my core …you two make me sick "

" Robbie and I were more believable " interjected Cat , simply .

" Yes, Cat , you were ," agreed Sikowitz ," Beck, Jade, come up with something better and prepare to show us the passion the day after tomorrow "

" Why not tomorrow ?" Beck wanted to know .

Their teacher rubbed his hands together , greedily , and smiled wickedly .

" Tomorrow is time for Andre and Tori to bring the love "

" Gulp " murmured Tori, as she felt Andre squeeze her hand in comfort .

Jade folded her arms across her chest and seethed . " I cant do this with him," blurted out Jade ," Samuel is nothing but I coward . I would rip his heart out and feed it to the demons before I would ever be with him…I cant do this "

With that, Jade grabbed her bag and ran out of the classroom towards the janitors closet .

" Jade " Beck sighed, heavily and bowed his head , thoughtfully .

" Did I miss something ?" inquired an innocent Sikowitz , as all accusing eyes turned towards Beck as if to say that this was his fault .


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Like all characters , the HA gang have their flaws. No one is perfect and they are as human as the rest of us and I intend to show that. Just like the Gleeks .

Beck is the first up so please refrain from hate . I love him too but his friends need to point out some truths to him.

" NO " Jade slammed the door in acting class, loudly, causing everyone to wince as the bell sounded alerting them that it was over .

Everyone scattered except for Beck , who was hadn't moved from the stage, Robbie, Cat, Andre, and Tori. Sikowitz lingered in his classroom, nursing his coconut milk, and watching what appeared to be a rather interesting scenario among his favorite students .

" Beck ! " Tori turned and sent him an incredulous look," you couldn't have come up with a display of passion that wouldn't have hurt ..Jade's feelings ?"

Beck spread his hands in a gesture of hopelessness. " Tori, come on, I was acting ," pointed out Beck, casually ," besides I cant believe, you , of all people are worried about Jade. You two aren't even friends …."

" Well, ..that's not entirely true ," stammered Tori, looking at Andre for support ," it isn't ! Jade and I ..are kind of..friends ..now "

" Shouldn't one of us be checking up on Jade ?" vocalized Andre, sending a glance at Tori. She was good at helping with these kinds of things .

" You should go find her " suggested Tori, squeezing his arm," she wont be far "

Andre made a face . " I don't know how to handle ….crying Jade "

" She wasn't crying " insisted a guilty beck," and if she was, it was for the scene . There is no way that Jade is going to willingly show you guys real tears…I know '

" I beg to differ," said Sikowitz," I too noticed our resident bitter Jade West appeared as vulnerable as I have ever seen her …"

" Whatever , I guess I'll go try and find her " said Andre ," not get killed either "

Reluctantly, Andre left them as the girls and Robbie confronted Beck

" I don't understand something ," spoke up Robbie ," how was it suppose to be passion if you were sending the woman you love away ? " He sent a side-long glance at Cat, who was playing with the end of her hair ," I couldn't do that "

" Shut up, Rob ," retorted Beck, sharper than he intended ," you don't understand "

" Robbie does too," defended Cat, firmly," I thought you were cold and mean to Jade ."

" Jade and I don't act sappy, romance , guys ," explained Beck, as if they had all grown three different heads ," our scene had some meat on it "

" Which you stabbed that grade a steak right through the heart with a knife " contributed sikowitz, helpfully ," which I would have expected better from such a fine actor as yourself, Beck "

" It wasn't me ," argued Beck," I was playing a character '

" Beck, I cant believe I am about to say this ," added Tori, honestly ," really, you have no idea how weird this is for me. I thought choosing that scene to play off of your ex-girlfriend was ..well, it was insensitive "

" Tori

" It's true ," went on the brunette," Jade's , you know, not my favorite person or anything but did you have to rub it in her face …about you leaving her .."

" It was really hurtful " says Cat, in a small voice .

" I agree with the girls ," chimed in Robbie , as Cat beamed at him. His heart tumbled a bit as he returned the smile and took a stance beside her and Tori .

Beck moved off of the stage. " I didn't leave her. Samuel did "

" Same difference " pointed out Tori," you played it like it was her "

" I was acting ! "

" I'm no expert on girls ," spoke up Robbie as Beck sent him a look of pure disbelief ," fact is girls hate me for the most part. I know you and Jade aren't together anymore and that the break up was painful and all, but I think reminding her to her face that you wouldn't fight for her is a low blow "

Beck fought to tamp down the anger . He didn't need romantic advice from Robbie .

" Stop right there, Shapiro ," warned Beck," just don't continue "

" The break up was mutual ," reminded Beck, ignoring the slight pain in his heart ," you guys were there . Remember ? Everyone just needs to accept the fact ….and move on like I have. Jade is the strongest woman I know and she is fine "

" You don't actually know that, Beck " reminded Tori , shaking her head .

" I know Jade " stated Beck, and with one last look at his friends, he left the class .

He hit the halls, trying to remain calm and cool, and in the zone . It wasn't worth getting upset about and clearly his friends were feeling like residual stress from being put in the middle of the break up.

Beck could forgive them . After all, they meant well , even if they hadn't a clue .

Andre deliberated on checking the Black Box Theatre for Jade then thought twice when he heard sobs coming from the small janitors closet across the hall. He hesitated, hand on the doorknob, and considered finding Cat or Tori .

" Jade, you in there ?"

" GO AWAY "

Yea, that was Jade and it sounded like she was upset .

He tried to turn the knob but it was locked . Sure, it would be.

" Come on, Jade, open up. It's Andre..I just wanna help you, girl "

" Leave, Andre "

He gave the knob another turn to find it unlocked and entered the closet . He found Jade sitting on the floor, quiet tears and black mascara running down her face, as she cut another trash can to pieces with her sharpest scissors .

Idly Andre wondered why the janitor even kept extras in here since Jade had already cut up at least two of the cans that he knew of.

" Jade, you're a fine mess, girl " Andre bent down to talk to her .

Vulnerability seeped off of her in waves and made him feel pretty darn bad for her .

" I don't want to..talk about it, Andre " Another sob escaped her ," go tell Vega that Beck is primed and over me " More tears tore through her as she cut another piece , viciously " Now she can make her move on him ..im out of the picture …for good "

Andre reached for her hand and to his surprise, the tough girl accepted it .

" Naw, that aint happening ," assured Andre ," Tori and I are together now . It's new and all that chizz but Tori isn't interested in dating Beck….."

Jade nodded and rubbed at her eyes. " Good …I mean, about time Tori figured out you were into her " She gulped back more tears ," How ..how could he ..humiliate me ..all over again like that ?"

Andre winced , unsure of how to answer . " I don't know if he was exactly doing that. I mean, you know Beck takes his acting seriously…he probably didn't mean for the scene to be about you and him. He was ..pretending "

He helped his friend from the floor . " You weren't "

" I thought I could…I mean, I'm a better actress than Tori..I should have been able to just follow the story but …God, Beck wants to punish me "

" Beck wouldn't do that " defended Andre, trusting in his friend .

" He would never admit it but that's what Beck was doing ,' trailed Jade ," trust me, Andre, Beck always knows what he is doing …."

Andre didn't know how to respond to that or to Jade's tears .

She was the strongest, toughest girl he knew and this was killing him.

He hadn't expected her to actually open up to him but then he guessed maybe Jade trusted him. It was kind of really cool.

" Come here …" Andre pulled her into a warm hug and felt the tension in her body. Jade relaxed after a moment and returned his hug ," you'll be fine , Jade "

" Don't tell a soul about this , Harris , or I will cut off your dreads and shred them "

Andre took it for what it was and accepted it .

" You still love Beck "

Jade swiped at her eyes, trying to remove the mascara treks , and looked away from him .

" I've always loved Beck but it doesn't matter anymore ….we broke up "

" Damn the chizz, Jade ," said Andre ," girl, you need to talk to Beck about this "

" Beck wants to pretend everything will go back to normal ," stated Jade, knowingly ," it wont , Andre . I wont pretend we didn't matter , I mattered to him "

She gave him a weak smile ." Thanks for this, Andre , just …don't mention it to anyone or I will cut you "

" It's cool even though I think you ought to reconsider ….."

" For what its worth, Andre, I'm kind of not mad about you and Tori ," told Jade ," just make sure Vega treats you like you deserve . " She reached for her bag " Maybe now you can try to write songs that aren't about her "

Before Andre could find a response , Jade left the closet and found Beck in her way .

He wore a solemn expression on his face that she couldn't read. " Jade "

" I don't want to talk to you ," Jade held her ground ," I will ..write out a script for our ..debacle for Sikowitz class and email it to you. I have to go ….."

" You were crying "

" Wow, you're a genius, Beck," said a snaky Jade ," but don't worry, I don't need you. Go find you a rich gank or some cheerleader ….I'm sure you will get all the adoration you want from those simpering sluts "

With that dart, Jade ran around the corner, nearly running over Sinjin in the process .

" Jade, my love "

" Sinjin, I will kill you "

Sinjin shook his frizzy hair and sighed at Beck. " I am wearing her down ..that was less mean than the threats from yesterday "

" Jade will never date you , man " told Beck, matter of fact .

" I know but its my dream….." trailed off sinjin, heading towards his tech class .

Beck was contemplative , the girls words and Jade's ricocheting off of his psyche, and his heart warring with trepidation.

Jade was hurting .

He knew he had been the cause …had he inadveratedly created a scene that would wound jade ? It hadn't been his intention and he didn't want to analyze it too much, he just knew that he didn't think he could fake a passionate love scene with his ex-girlfriend .

The break up was still too real and too raw between them.

In the weeks since he and Jade had ended their relationship, it had been quiet .

Beck could appreciate the solitude except in the wee hours of the morning , when images of a soft Jade haunted him and he missed her . Even his morning ritual of coffee from Jet Brew was painful….he had to stop himself from ordering her coffee .

Was he ready to date another girl ?

Someone who wasn't sharp and beautiful as Jade West ? Beck didn't know but he thought it wouldn't hurt to test out the theory and try to move on with his life .

Not to mention, find a girl to date that could handle being in the middle of Jade's reactions and anger because he knew his ex wouldn't just let him dating sit still.

Jade was a woman of action and revenge .

Sighing to himself, Beck grew thoughtful and decided to get Andre's opinion on it .

Andre had a clear head . Rob didn't know what the hell he was doing ..yeah, that is what he would do and maybe find out how Jade was really handling things .


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer : Nada, no chizz, I still don't own Victorious . That is all Dan .

Robbie 's scalp had itched from all the hair gel he had used to help it stay straight so upon arriving home from school, the first thing he had done was wash it so that it was no back to its curly self. He sighed and checked his Slap page, pleased that his girlfriend wasn't shy about posting messages to his wall.

LOVE THE SEXY Hair, Robert . Hugs and Kisses Roxanne

Well, even if it was a pain, it didn't matter because she loved it . Girls just didn't like things about him so Robbie was going to do whatever it took to prove that he was worthy of the attention and the affection of having a classy North Ridge girlfriend as his own.

He wasn't going to screw up the one relationship that he had . He wasn't going to show everyone that ever rejected and humiliated him that Robbie Shapiro wasn't a loser.

" Gonna take more than cool hair for you to break the loser " Rex pointed out, evenly.

" I know that, you don't have to keep reminding me " shouted Robbie , angrily .

" A babe like Roxanne gonna want more from you as her dude "

" I know ," told Robbie ," I know and I can be that kind of guy that she is proud of "

Cat frowned at the conversation she overheard and knocked softly on the open door .

" Hey Robbie ," Cat stepped in the doorway," your Mom said I could come in. I brought the movie for us to watch …."

" Hi Cat ," Robbie smiled at her ," cool. Rex and I were just fighting ..he's been giving me hints about how to date a North Ridge girl…."

" I don't see why you just cant be yourself " says Cat , simply, " she isn't dating Rex ."

" Oh, I am ," Robbie took the DVD from her ," I mean, she likes that I am a geek. Roxanne just is like any girl….she has suggestions on how I could be ..better "

" What is that supposed to mean ?" asked Cat, hurt tinging her voice .

" Nothing , nothing ," Robbie took her hand ," come on, I'll put on the movie "

Cat smiled up at him, sweetly ." Kay, kay," says Cat, taking a seat on the small couch he had in front of the TV ," I thought you were going to make me popcorn, Robbie . We cant watch a movie without popcorn…unless its with my brother because he isn't allowed around it anymore "

He smiled, indulgently at her. " Popcorn coming right up '

Robbie had all the amenities in his room..small fridge, microwave, and a couch so he rarely had to leave his room unless he needed to.

" Yay ," Cat noticed his hair was back to normal again," ooh, you have your hair again. It looks so much better like this, Robbie "

" Cat, can you please not start on my hair again " asked Robbie as his cell blasted .

" Robert ," Roxanne's voice was pouty," I thought you were going to come and see me after school today so we could go shopping together "

Robbie cast an apologetic glance towards Cat . " I'm sorry, Roxanne, but I cant tonight ," apologized Robbie ," I have plans to watch a film for part of my acting class assignment "

" You and I could watch it together " suggested Roxanne ," I love films "

" That's sweet ," replied Robbie, pleased that she was trying to take an interest in his likes ," but its an old movie . I doubt that you would even enjoy it…most of my friends wouldn't even watch this with me and Cat "

Roxanne lifted a brow . " Cat ..the redhead that you have pictures of on your phone ?"

" Cat is my friend " assured Robbie ," I have pictures of the rest of my friends too "

" Fine ," dismissed Roxanne ," you'll text me later, Robert, after your homework . So we can make plans together ?"

" Of course ,bye " Robbie said his goodbyes , unaware that Cat had been frowning during the whole conversation .

" Your girlfriend was checking up on you ?" asked Cat, curiously.

" No," scoffed Robbie ," Roxanne wanted us to spend time together . She was disappointed you and I were busy with this assignment ….that's all "

" Come sit by me " Cat patted the empty space beside her ," Robbie "

Robbie handed her the popcorn and settled beside her . " Tori and Jade aren't joining us ?"

" Tori is still stressing over what she and Andre might have to act out ," explained Cat, snuggling close to him," I think they were rehearsing at her house . Jade was still mad so I didn't even ask her ..its okay that its just you and me. Isn 't it ?"

Robbie laughed, nervously. " Yuperooni , sure is "

He tried to ignore the feelings surrounding him from Cat's nearness and the soft, sweet scent of her perfume and the fact that she was holding onto his arm.

Cat was affectionate . It didn't mean anything and there was no reason for him to be excited over a simple touch .

" Good " Cat rested her head on his chest ," start the movie"

" Gulp …" Robbie pressed play as the rolling strains of the intro toAn Affair to Remember played across the street and they were taken aboard the cruise ship with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr 's love affair .

There must be something between us…even if its only an ocean.

" He is in love with her " says Cat, brown eyes turning to stare at Robbie ," silly, stubborn man . "

Robbie could easily lose himself in Cat's beautiful eyes , if he didn't make himself focus .

" Nickie is in a relationship with another woman , Cat ," pointed out Robbie ," and besides he's a cynic. Who can blame him ? Love at first sight is rare "

Cat sat up on her knees and gaped at him in surprise . " Robbie, how can you say that ?"

" Because its true ," stated Robbie, not unkindly," its all peachy keen for romantic movies but it hardly ever turns out in real life . "

" I believe in true love and happily ever after ," says Cat , " I thought you did too "

" The idea is nice but it is never gonna happen to me " said Robbie ," right now Roxanne likes me . I'm not gonna toss her away but I don't plan on holding my breathe that a classy girl like her is going to fall in love with me while we're dating either "

" You ..don't know that , Robbie " Cat 's voice was soft .

" You'll find the handsome prince with the abs and have the fairytale , Cat " assured Robbie, because she deserved all the wishes and happiness .

" Come on, let's just watch the movie " Robbie reached for her wrist , ignoring the electrical currents running through his veins from touching her ," the whole lets meet on top of the Empire State Building is coming up soon "

Cat frowned and settled into the crook of his arm, holding onto him, and trying to convey that this was more than watching a movie with a friend . She didn't go around cuddling up to André or Beck when they watched movies together . " Kay, kay "

Unsure of why she was clinging to him and aware that he had a girlfriend, Robbie looked towards rex for some help.

Rex chose now to not have anything to say. Great .

They were friends and putting a friendly arm around her shoulders wasn't a big deal.

" I'll just take my ego for a walk ," repeated Robbie ," great line . Beck would say something like that..I would get slapped if I said that "

" Phooey, you would not ," giggled Cat ," but your not at all like him. "

" Thanks for the reminder, Cat ," muttered Robbie ," I thought I'd ask the guys for advice "

" Your kind and sensitive ," implored Cat, meaning it ," there isn't anything wrong with that "

" There is enough wrong for me to change " declared Robbie , taking some popcorn.

Cat frowned and didn't know what to say. He really was down on himself .

She munched on the popcorn that they shared and soon found herself entranced and crying through the movie , resting her head against Robbie's chest for comfort .

**Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories ….we've already missed the spring ! **

" Cat , come on, Cat ," Robbie folded her closer ," it isn't that sad . You know they find each other in the end ..they love each other . Don't cry "

**Cat da**bbed at her eyes . " Are you making fun of me for crying ?"

**He smiled tenderly **at her and loosened his hold on her , brushing a delicate strand of red hair from her face . " I would never make fun of you, Cat . "

" **I know , Robbie ….**" Cat moved closer and pressed a soft kiss against his jaw .

**Robbie froze , closed his eyes, opened them, **and found Cat smiling sweetly at him.

" No need for you to get ..carried away ," babbled a bugged out Robbie ," we can always rehearse later . Not a good idea ..during the movie ..I have a girlfriend "

" I..I wasn't rehearsing , Robbie " says Cat, innocently ," I just thought ..we never really talked about …our kiss "

Robbie stood up, pacing ,and unable to look at her . This was surreal.

" There isn't anything to talk about cause it was stage kiss ," rambled Robbie, nervously ," I know we need to get used to pretend kissing each other but I don't think it's a good idea right now. Your too involved with the love story….and I don't want to hurt your feelings "

" That's how you feel ?" questioned Cat, feeling the sting of rejection hit her in the heart .

" Sikowitz is challenging us like he is Beck and Jade ," said Robbie ," he knows we're good friends, Cat. Besides if you're a southern belle, I doubt you would be kissing me ..I mean, not like that….we should just watch the rest of the movie "

Cat crossed her arms, protectively and nodded . " Right , the movie "

Robbie did his best not to reach for Cat as the movie progressed to its heart aching ending and the tears flowed down her face. He didn't know what had happened but it was best if he just played it cool here …before there was anymore confusion .

Cat accepted the Kleenex from him and wiped her eyes. " I should go "

" We still have to write out our script for our love story " reminded Robbie , shutting the movie off and moving to stand beside her .

" We can work on it later …thanks for watching the movie with me, Robbie "

" Cat ,' Robbie touched her arm," I didn't mean to hurt your feelings "

" You didn't …" Cat stepped aside , unsure and wary ," I always get weepy and into the movie . You were just being a good friend and holding me ….bye '

She grabbed her purse, gave him a swift hug, and ran from the Shapiro house , afraid that Robbie had stopped caring ..romantically ..about her ..after all this time .

" I bet he is going to make us an interracial couple in the 1940's ," Tori paced across the living room," we'd have to overcome prejudice and everything for our love "

Andre shook his head at her antics. " That is too normal a scene for Sikowitz to give us "

" The 1950' s then ," Tori moved onto the next thing, " Andre, why aren't you bugging over this? We are next and im just a ..little bit nervous for whatever we have to play out that all of our friends are going to see….look what happened with Beck and Jade "

" Beck brought that on his own ," Andre motioned for her ," come here , Tori "

" What ?" asked Tori, stopping in front of him and staring into his handsome face.

Andre really was too sexy for his own good .

He pulled her close to him and dropped a light kiss on her lips. " There ..been wanting to do that most of the day "

Tori tapped his chest ." I could get used to that "

He took her hand, led her to the couch where they set down together , and he placed an arm around her shoulder . " Besides you bugging out over this assignment ," asked André ," how do you really feel about us ?"

Tori smiled warmly into his eyes. " Surprisingly good with us being an us "

" Cause if your not feeling the love then we can put this to a halt ," reassured Andre," no pressure . I'd be cool..I don't want you regretting us "

" I am liking us being an ..us , Andre " As if to prove it, Tori leaned in to kiss him," see, we wasted a lot of valuable kissing time "

" Cant argue with that " Andre wove a hand through her brown tresses , kissing her back as Trina swept into the house and glanced at the new couple with a smirk.

" Cant you two get a room or do that somewhere I'm not " commented Trina

" Go away, Trina " called Tori as her sister headed upstairs to her room .

" We don't want you here " added Andre , helpfully .

" Fine ,' dismissed Trina ," I have to get ready for my date anyway "

Once she had disappeared from sight, Tori and Andre resumed their kissing before the doorbell sounded , causing them to jerk apart .

" Whoever it is , they are gonna be dead " muttered Andre , under his breath .

" Chill down, Andre " Tori blew him a kiss and opened the door ," Beck "

Beck sent them a weary smile ." Hey guys "

" Beck ,hey ," called out Tori ," wasn't expecting you "

" I actually came to talk to Andre ," explained Beck," do you mind ?"

Tori sent Andre a wistful look. " Come in, Beck, he's here . I"ll just go help Trina get ready for her date …and let you guys talk "

Andre lifted his head and met his best friends gaze. " This about Jade "

" Could we talk , man ? " asked Beck, seriously ," and not everything is about Jade "

" Fine ," agreed Andre, reluctantly ," but you interrupted a moment with me and Tori "

Beck heaved a half hearted sigh and knew this talk was going to be painful.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer : Still don't own Victorious or there would be more couple storylines .

" So, there's pink lemonade in the fridge ," called down Tori ," I'm just going to be upstairs ….."

" Thanks " Beck wandered in, hands in his pocket, and a pensive expression across his face," um, sorry about interrupting ..you and Tori "

" Your timing sucks " told Andre ," so, what's up, man ?"

" Look I know you talked to Jade today at school," brought up an uncomfortable Beck," I told myself I wasn't gonna do this but I lied . How is she ?"

" You might try asking her yourself " answered Andre , evenly .

" I tried ," admitted a sheepish Beck," apparently she still doesn't want to talk to me . She's emailing me our script for Sikowitz class …Andre, I just want to make sure Jade is alright . She doesn't let her guard down hardly ever ….and I get the feeling she did with you "

Andre felt as if he was stuck between a rock and a hard place with no where to turn and no one to pull him out.

" You're my friend but so is she ," answered a honest Andre ," I promised her I wouldn't talk about this with you . I wont go back on my word to Jade…."

" I respect that , man "

" I will say that what you did in class today was all kinds of cruel and ugly ," went on Andre ," Jade might be ..you know , Jade , but the girls got feelings too "

" It wasn't about me and her ," repeated Beck, though it sounded hollow to his own ears ," you know , I know she's pissed at me but I had hoped we might be able to salvage some sort of friendship "

" You'd have to talk to Jade about that " said Andre ,awkwardly ," but I'd say chances are pretty slim right now "

" Great ," Beck sighed and ran a hand through his hair ," now I feel like the wazbag "

" Don't mention to her that we had this conversation ," Andre gestured at his hair ," I love my dreads . I'd like to keep them like they are and on my head …"

" Jade threatened you ? Glad to see she hasn't lost herself in our break up "

" You are a real funny man, Beck," Andre made a face ," so, what else did you want to talk about ? You..I don't know, maybe still having some feelings for Jade "

Beck was quiet as he didn't want to examine too closely his own feelings as of yet .

" Actually I was thinking about asking Kyra Madison ask on a date " brought up Beck ," last time she made a move on me , I was with Jade. Wasn't really interested then but she's pretty hot and ..limber "

" Kyra ," repeated Andre in amazement and stunned disbelief ," the dancer kyra with the long legs and the blonde hair ? "

" That would be Kyra " nodded Beck," so what do you think ?"

" I think Jade might have a breakdown and shred her toe shoes if you started dating Kyra is what I think ," Andre lifted his hands in surrender ," just my opinion "

" Just because Jade isn't dating other guys ," started Beck, swallowing the giant lump at the mention of that ," her and I have been over . Its past acceptable break up time and I have options to date…..actually I have a ton of options "

" You don't have to brag, Beck "

" So I figure its cool to ask Kyra out " figured Beck, looking at his best friend for support .

" Its your life, dude ," answered Andre ," Kyra's a nice girl so sure you should date her "

Tori stuck her head around the corner of the stairs . " Oh my God ! Beck , have you been taking over by aliens ? Don't you have the tiniest bit of feelings left for Jade at all ? "

Andre couldn't help but grin at his eavesdropping girl. " Tori, baby, why are you listening ?"

" Uh I'm sorry ," apologized a contrite Tori ," but I was curious and worried then Trina is driving me mad . I know Beck can date whoever he wants even though it will ultimately hurt Jade even more because …unlike someone who is too cool ….well, she wont take it well"

" I wouldn't blame her either . " She said her piece and bopped back upstairs .

" My life doesn't revolve around Jade West and we aren't in a relationship anymore "

" You don't have to make excuses to me, man ," told Andre ," I get you "

" Thanks for the ear ," told Beck," appreciate it "

" Anytime ," said Andre ," oh hey, you heard from Robbie ? He was watching some old cheesy love story with Cat after school today …"

Beck examined his phone ." Nope ," answered Beck," I wonder how that is gonna pan out . Cat was pretty obvious in Tech class today…she couldn't take her eyes off of him"

" I noticed lil Red been into him lately too but Rob's all about his North Ridge babe " Andre made a face ," I kind of feel like we should have been better friends before when he was being rejected to his face every day . I don't think we were good friends "

" I think I agree with you " conceded Beck , wryly ," so we just be cool bros and make it up to him now. I'm sure Robbie would appreciate it …."

" Yeah "

" Uh hello boys ," Mrs. Vega entered , carrying a bag of groceries ," Beck, Andre , what are you doing in my living room ? "

" Oh hey Mrs. V ," Andre took a bag into the kitchen for her ," we're hanging out "

" Of course, you are ," smiled Mrs. Vega, knowing she should be used to having all of her daughters friends in the house all of the time ," where are Tori and Trina ?"

" Upstairs " answered Beck, easily .

" Would you boys like to stay for supper ? I'm fixing a couple pizzas …"

Andre and Beck exchanged knowing looks . " Sure , that'd be cool, Mrs. .Vega "

" Wonderful " enthused Mrs. Vega , putting the orange juice away in the fridge .

" Well, boys , I need your honest opinion ," Trina descended the staircase ," how hot and gorgeous am I ? Don't you wish you had your lips on mine ?"

Tori followed behind her, joining her friends . " TRINA "

" I cant help it if I am hot and beautiful " Trina twirled around . She was wearing a short purple mini dress and five inch matching heels ," Andre ? Beck ?"

" Uh, whatever , you look okay " stuttered Andre , aware that Tori and her mom was listening.

" Who are you going out with , honey ?" inquired an anxious yet curious Mrs. .Vega .

" His name is Leo ," preened Trina ," I met him online and he isn't from Hollywood . He is super fine and rich …bye, bye "

" Don't have too much fun " called out Tori ," hey Mom, I didn't know you were home "

Mrs. Vega gave her youngest daughter a wan smile. " Figured as much since Andre and Beck greeted me at the door ," told Mrs. Vega ," should I expect Robbie, Cat, and Jade as well for supper ?"

" I wouldn't expect Jade any time soon " quipped Beck, glibly .

" Robbie and Cat are having movie night together so nope " contributed Andre .

' So, just us " Tori slung an arm across Beck and Andre ," and we are going to have so much fun talking about how insensitive Beck can be when he chooses to act like it "

" I should have stayed at the office ..for several more hours " decided Mrs. Vega, heavily .


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer : Unfortunately I still don't own Victorious or Hollywood Arts.

Cat was thoughtful this morning as she reread all of the messages that Robbie's new girlfriend has posted on his Slap page and twirled her hair, worriedly.

Sure , the North Ridge girl was entitled to be flirty since she and Robbie were dating but Cat didn't really like the tone of her little messages on Robbie's board.

It annoyed her actually and why would someone who liked Robbie want him to change his hair ?

She couldn't understand this because Robbie looked really cute with his curly hair.

Cat giggled to herself , because she had never shared that little tidbit with anyone .

" Hey, Cat ," Tori approached her ," soooo, how was chick flick night with Robbie ?"

" It was a love story ," corrected Cat , blushing ," and it was nice . Robbie made me popcorn and let me cry on him…we had fun "

" That was nice of him "

" Roxanne called him before we watched the movie " explained Cat , glancing down at her pear phone again ," Robbie forgot he had it on speaker phone so ..I heard "

" That is a bad habit " agreed Tori ," how does she sound ? "

" Total North Ridge girl ," says Cat in a low voice ," she doesn't seem like a nice person "

" Jade did say that she was a gank …." brought up Tori," though if she is a gank and a classic North Ridge girl then I am really shocked she hasn't dumped Robbie yet "

" I think Robbie is a bit depressed , " murmured Cat, " I'm worried about him "

" Robbie isn't depressed ," reassured Tori," he is just probably not good at handling an actual girlfriend . I don't think he's actually had one since I've known him….."

" I suppose that is true …." says Cat , softly ," I just think Robbie could do better "

" Hey " Jade, ever present coffee with two sugars , in hand joined her friends , also managing to catch the tail end of their conversation," Cat , your jealous "

Cat looked mortified ." I am not ! I am not a bad person ..I'm..I'm not a boyfriend stealer ! I just don't like how rude the ..the gank was to Robbie !"

Outrage and a tinge of hurt crossed her face as Cat barreled over to her locker , leaving jade and Tori to puzzle out this newest development .

" Is it just me or is Cat acting stranger and stranger about Robbie ?"

Jade took a drink of her coffee and called it like she saw it .

" Open your eyes, Tori. "

Tori groaned in exasperation at jade's fake southern Tori voice that grated on her nerves every time that she used it .

Like now.

" I don't talk like that !"

Jade sent her a saccharine smile ." Cat likes Robbie "

Andre joined the girls, putting an arm casually around Tori and nodding at Jade .

" I told her that …"

Robbie was not going to be late this morning and this was even after he had a morning breakfast date with Roxanne at the Beanery before school started .

It was a bit out of his way but Roxie was particular when it came to her coffee .

Actually it was a latte with no fat milk .

He had an iced coffee and they caught up on ..things .

She had been attentive and excited for their shopping trip.

Robbie wasn't sure he could afford her type of shopping but he had promised .

Somehow he didn't figure it would be the same as hanging at the mall with his friends .Still he was the boyfriend and he figured it came down to being part of the boyfriends job and he didn't want to shirk on it .

Besides they were still getting to know one another , though he felt as if Roxanne wasn't as sharing as much as he was but maybe she was just being cautious in their relationship.

That would make sense .

Robbie hopped down the stairs and walked briskly over to Cat , who was scrolling on her phone .

" Cat, " greeted a chipper Robbie," good morning "

Cat put her phone up and sent him a warm smile . " Oh hi Robbie "

Robbie's eyes gleamed mischievously behind his dark glasses at her .

" I brought you a ..surprise " he teased her ," if you wouldn't mind a ..surprise from me, that is ?"

Cat clapped her hands together in delight .

" Oooh Robbie, you know, I love surprises ! "

" I know ….here " Robbie handed her a small pink box .Inside nestled in pretty white doily lay a single red velvet cupcake ," I was having iced coffee with Roxie this morning when I saw this in the bakery. It has the swirly pink icing that you like …so, I thought you might like it for breakfast "

" You bought me a cupcake for breakfast ," Cat launched herself in his arms, hugging him tight and kissing his cheek," Thank you , Robbie, thank you ! No one has ever given me a breakfast cupcake before …..I love it "

" I'm ..glad, Cat " Robbie colored slightly and hoped she wouldn't notice as his hands wound around her waist, lingering around her curves for a moment longer .

Brown eyes met , held, and connected with a new awareness that hadn't been present before and neither looked away. Butterflies danced merrily, twirling and flying around Cat's stomach in a way that was new and unfamiliar to her .

Cat backed away from him. " Thanks for thinking of me, Robbie "

" You're welcome …"

Meanwhile across the hall, they were being spied on by Andre, Jade, and Tori who were still huddled around the locker, conversing and ignoring the morning hall chatter .

" That looks promising ….." noted Andre , with approval," gotta give Rob credit he knows what the girl likes "

" So we're not all happy that Robbie is dating a North Ridge girl ," asked a baffled Tori," I thought we were being all supportive of him. You know since he has a real girlfriend this time …."

" Tips ," interjected Sinjin, hovering around Jade's shoulder ," please, I'm desperate "

He leaned in as if to sniff Jade , who didn't so much as glance at him. " 1..2 ..don't let me get to three, Sinjin "

" Leaving " backpedaled Sinjin, disappearing out of sight and around the corner .

" No, I think its cool that we show him support and all that chizz but it's a North ridge girl ," rationalized Andre, " gotta be smart here . Besides I'd much rather support him with Cat ….he cant tell me he doesn't like her now "

" He's a moron " contributed Jade, taking a drink of her coffee and wishing the strong brew would work its way through faster this morning . It had been a bad morning already …she had been rifling through her clothes drawer this morning when she had found an old love note written from Beck.

She had wanted to scream and cry and cut things but she didn't want to give into the grief anymore than she already had this week . Right now coffee was helping to keep her from killing someone that so much as looked at her wrong or murder Beck.

" In that case," Tori took in the conversation with a critical eye ," I might hazard a guess that Cat and Robbie might be having a ..possible moment …"

" Moment is cool " agreed jade, who considered Cat to be her best friend . Though is asked, she would deny the fact .

Suddenly all three of their pear phones went off, alerting them of a new notification had been posted on the Slap page. They all turned to their phones but Andre read faster .

" Oh chizz," Muttered Andre ," Jade, maybe you'd better not ….you know , "

" Read " finished off Tori for him and sending her a sympathetic look.

" What are you guys going on ..about .." muttered an annoyed Jade as she read the simple posting of her ex-boyfriend and color drained and slid right off of her face .

Something very dark twisted inside of her and she bit her lip, hard enough to bleed.

" Beck wants to date..he asked out that..that anorexic , little priss grunge "

" Now I don't think Kyra is that much of a priss ," said Andre in defense of his best friend who clearly had lost his brain overnight ," but I could be ..wrong . I don't know how the dude thinks …I'll shut up now "

" You don't have to defend him ….we are over . I ..I didn't expect him to move on …"

Tori placed a hand on her friends shoulder, trying to lend her some support . Whether Jade accepted or not would always be guesswork but she felt it was needed here .

" Jade, I am sorry. I've been there before..I mean, not exactly the same way but I know how much it hurts ….."

" Fine, Tori " Jade's mouth was drew in a tight , thin line and her anger and sadness radiated off of her in waves causing both Tori and Andre to back away and give her space ." He wants to ..go there ..fine . Oh, I can go..there too "

Tori and Andre exchanged worried looks .

" Do you think this is like that time Beck and Jade were text fighting ?" wondered Tori

" I feel like it could be worse " told Andre .

Jade felt sick .

Mentally and physically like she could puke in a millisecond , given a chance .

So, Beck was going after skinny ganky dancers now ? That was really the type of girl he wanted ?

A girl as far off and as different as she was, Jade figured and rubbed a hand at her heart.

It was hurting once more .

" We should get to class ," suggested Tori," Cat and Robbie are already there "

She and Andre made a beeline for the classroom while Jade lagged behind, contemplating skipping and going anywhere but the school instead .

" Jade ….wait a minute " Beck caught her arm and her anger , stopping her en route .

" Let go ," Ice dripped from Jade's mouth as she kept her gaze steady ," we're through having any kind of conversations, Beck. In fact, I think I ought to go on the Slap and unfriend you and end ..whatever this is that is left "

He felt as if she had punched him in the gut . " Why would you do that ?"

" Why shouldn't I do that, Beckett ,' tossed out Jade ," obviously we have nothing more between us now that our relationship is over . You want to date skinny dancers who will giggle like morons and fall over you..that's your choice but I don't want to know all about your love life . I don't need to be friends with you..and ..and I am not dropping …my friends either so they will just have to deal on their own "

" I am just trying to move on," Beck was quiet ," you could too "

" What I do is my business " declared Jade, and moved past him into the class room.

Beck watched her and this deep feeling of regret mixed with sadness filled him.

How could he not have Jade in his Life ? He didn't even know if that was something he could imagine , had hoped that some sort of even ground could be met, hoped she had wanted him in her life as well.

Sighing, Beck was the last to Sikowitz class and plopped into a seat beside Andre .

" Good morning , " Sikowitz entered the classroom, black plaid pajama pants , a oversized gold tee shirt , and a funky flowered shirt was his outfit of choice today," glad to see that Beck isn't suffering from a gambling problem or that North Ridge Fever hasn't inflected any of you girls "

" I don't gamble …"

" Don't put us in the same sentence as a mean North Ridge girl " this came from Cat .

Sikowitz gave them a wide smile and perused the teenagers , who were seemingly giving them their whole attention though Jade looked like she was elsewhere .

Intriguing , really .

" Cat, Robbie ," put forth sikowitz , handing them their paper," kudos for your analysis on An Affair to Remember . It was very good, despite Robbie's cynicism and the girly of Cat's interpretation, I liked it . It wasn't garbage and you both get A's "

" Yay " enthused Cat, reaching over to squeeze Robbie's hand .

He smiled excitedly at her and let go of her hand .

Not your girlfriend , that would be Roxanne . Friends with Cat .

" Andre, Tori ," ordered the teacher , falling into a seat behind Jade ," stage now "

" Oh this is it…" Tori looked desperately at Andre ," please let it be …something light "

" Baby, you gotta calm it down " said Andre, under his breath," we got this "

A almost maniacal expression spread across Sikowitz's face as he enjoyed the panic on Tori's face. " Priceless ," stated Sikowitz ," Andre and tori , you are a contemporary modern couple who married and are expecting their first couple . "

" Married ?" repeated Tori, stunned ," wait, did you say I'm pregnant too ? Why do I have to pretend to have a baby ? You never had Cat or Jade act out a pretend pregnancy …"

" Because I really want to see you as a pregnant mommy, Tori, now act "

A pout formed on her mouth. " I don't know how to be pregnant …"

Jade smirked," Fun "

" It isn't that bad .." whispered Andre in her ear, " you'll be fine , Tor"

He had been a pregnant marathon runner for their method acting exercise .

" I love babies ," says Cat, cheerfully ," I think it would be fun to be expecting .I don't want to have a baby now cause I'm too young but later when I'm married …"

" Andre, Tori, your madly in love ," went on sikowitz," an arguing over wallpaper "

Tori stuffed a small pillow underneath her shirt and encircled it with her chest and tried to channel what it must be like to be having a baby .

She mimed painting the wall ." Honey, I thought we agreed the green paper with the jungle animals would be precious if we're having a boy "

Andre turned around and kissed her , lightly ." Baby, I don't think its gonna be a boy and why waste 200 bucks on wallpaper if it's a girl. Grandma swears we're having a girl …"

" I love Grandma but Andre, she isn't sane most of the time ," brought up Tori, indulgently ," she thought I was fat for like six months "

" Grandma means well " Andre placed his hand over her belly," and I thought you liked the yellow duckies for the nursery ? Jade can paint us some duckies …"

" Oooh , a disgruntled relative is fun " encouraged sikowitz," I like "

" Keep me out of your damn scene," said a forceful Jade ," you know I hate yellow and I really hate ducks. I can bury you both dead and no one would have a clue…"

" Jade, stop being a gank " ordered Sikowitz," Tori, Andre, go on "

" I do but we aren't asking Auntie Jade ," corrected Tori, putting an arm around his neck ," maybe we could see if Cat would help "

" Anything for my baby, " Andre kissed her, deeply ," baby "

" Ah, I love you, Andre " replied Tori, really getting into character ," and ow, the baby kicked my kidneys again. I need to go and pee ..again.."

Andre chuckled," Go right on , Tor. You leave this room to me , Mrs. Harris "

" I still love the sound of that …" Tori kissed him and pretended to run off the stage.

" Wonderful ," applauded Sikowitz , pleased with their performance ," and even though you kept it yourself , very believable . If I were filming Thirtysomething for teenagers, I would cast you two as my lead married couple in a heartbeat …"

" It wasn't so bad " Tori hugged Andre's neck," I thought it'd be scary "

" Scary can be coming right up," voiced Jade," for the crack about yellow ducks "

" Chill down, jade ," told Andre ," I forgot …scissors away . "

Ruin my fun "

" Oh, and Andre ,' remarked sikowitz, in an offhand manner ," No preganating Tori in real life. I don't wannna have to explain that ones to your parents ….."

Tori covered her face with her hands ." I am going to die '

Andre kissed her hair ," You survived , Tori, and made a rocking , hot wife and mama "

" I think I just puked in my throat …" remarked Jade, as the bell sounded .

Cat and Robbie followed Tori and Andre out of class while Beck approached the acting teacher with trepidation written all over his body language .

" Beck, do you have a problem ? " asked Sikowitz," cause last time I checked, Lane was the man of guidance . Not me ….sooo?"

" Look, its about me and jade," admitted Beck, uneasily ," I have no problem performing with her . She's a great actress and everything but I really think having us perform together ..it wont be doing anyone in favors in this class "

" I am not changing the assignment ," stated Sikowitz ," I don't care how uncomfortable you are or how much sexual tension is radiating off of you and Jade , you are acting together . If this is an issue for you, I suggest you talk to her "

" Sikowitz, I wouldn't ask if I didn't feel I had any other choice in the manner "

" You helped end your relationship with jade from my understanding ," sighed Sikowitz with a frustrated groan ," you accept the consequences , Beck., and if I don't see real acting with passion then you , sir, will earn a nice , hefty F on the assignment "

" Sikowitz, come on ! "

" if I had given Tori and Andre a heavy , lusty scene those two would have freaked ," continued Sikowitz , pulling out a stack of DVDs ," would have been useless acting . Instead I presented them with a modern relationship and they soared …"

" What does any of that have to do with me and Jade ?"

" Good question," Sikowitz clamped a hand on his shoulder ," time for you to figure it out "

He climbed out the open window, leaving a torn Beck alone to contemplate .

Beck ran a hand through his perfect hair and wished to hell he had a clue.

He didn't .


	10. Chapter 10

The Asphalt Café had in the short span of a few hours become a new kind of lunchtime hell for the gang or that was Tori's thoughts as she and Cat sat with Jade , awaiting the arrival of the guys .

Jade was being unnaturally quiet which was never good . The fact that Beck had asked another girl out a harsh blow and she imagined Jade was still processing .

" My R& B class is awesome ," Tori was saying ," and we get to perform a lot . I am hoping I can persuade Andre into writing a song for me ….."

Jade scoffed ," That shouldn't be too hard "

Tori blushed ." I'm hoping he wont mind ….its guaranteed to be an A if I sing an Andre Harris original "

" Andre is the best songwriter " commented Cat ," I was thinking about making costumes for me and Robbie for our screenplay Sikowitz wants us to write for our assignment . "

" Your really getting into this assignment ,Cat ," brought up Tori ," with Robbie "

" I like it ,Tori, and its fun ," Says Cat, twirling her hair ," not to mention that Robbie and I work really well together . He is very smart, you know ….and he has good ideas even if no one ever listens to him "

" We never said that Robbie wasn't smart " allowed Jade, coming up from her brooding .

Cat picked at her salad . " Did I tell you I got a text from Daniel the other day ? "

Daniel had dated Cat briefly before it had come out that when Tori was at school at Sherwood, they had dated . There had been some crazy jealousy from Tori and a nasty incident involving a cheese fountain and a kiss between Tori and Danny and it hadn't been long after that Cat had broken up with him.

That had been a whole year ago so everyone was surprised by this new information.

" What'd he want ?" asked Jade , point blank," and why do you still have the skunk bags number in your phone ?"

" I must have forgotten to remove it ," explained Cat ," like that one time my brother stepped on a bunch of safety pins from moms sewing stuff and then tried to walk across the balcony at the theatre …"

" CAT, what about Danny ?" interrupted Tori, before she could go more into the story.

" Oh, I don't know I didn't feel like talking to him," admitted Cat, who had been chatting with Robbie on the Slap at the time the text had came in ," I know it was rude but he is my ex boyfriend . I'm sure it wasn't important ….maybe he wanted to ask me out or something "

Both Jade and Tori shared puzzled expressions as normally Cat would have more than likely given the dude another chance .

" I don't want to date Daniel again " clarified Cat, taking a drink of her soda .

" I think that's really a good thing , Cat " agreed Tori ," nothing good ever comes from the exes . I mean, look at all of the ex girlfriends that Andre has ….none of them are ever very pleasant to him when he accidentally runs into them. "

" Done with this " announced Jade, tossing her fork across the table, narrowly missing Cat who ducked and the fork landed on Sinjin's tray , who recoiled .

Meanwhile over by the Grub Truck, Andre was interrogating Robbie while they waited for their food.

" I hear you bought Cat a cupcake for breakfast, Rob "

" Yuperooni ," answered Robbie ," red velvet with that fancy pink icing she likes "

" Let me get this straight , Robbie, cause you bought Cat one of her favorite desserts while you were on a breakfast date with the new girlfriend ," brought up Andre , pointedly ," and the new girlfriend didn't dump you on the spot ?"

Robbie considered this ," Actually I think Roxie had already left for school when I bought the cupcake …"

" He shrugged ," Besides it isn't anything , Andre . I bought a dessert for a friend "

" No, you bought it for Cat , who is way more than a friend and you know it " explained Andre ," you need to dump North Ridge "

" I am enjoying my relationship with Roxanne ," said a defensive Robbie ," granted, we are still learning more about each other but I am not going to dump the one girl who actually likes me back. I bought Cat a cupcake - big deal ! It meant nothing "

" Better not let the girls hear you say that ," cautioned Andre ," and I know girls .

You don't , Robbie, and I'm telling you now your gonna make a huge chizzin mess .."

" Thanks, Andre, but I can handle my own relationship ," contradicted Robbie ," so, what about you and Tori ? You guys don't really seem any different than usual …."

A wide grin slid across his face ." We're still taking things slow but its all cool," replied a honest Andre," we're still us but with kissing now . "

" Cool ," replied Robbie ," I saw that Beck asked Kyra out …you know, I actually kind of figured he and Jade would get back together at some point in time "

" Me too but must be rough ," said Andre with a chuckle ," all those gorgeous babes throwing themselves at him. Guess Beck figured he needed to move on…so whatever you say don't mention it to Jade …"

" Nope " agreed Robbie as they collected their lunches and joined the girls at the table .

" Ladies " addressed Robbie , taking a seat beside Cat and sending her a lopsided smile .

" Oh, you got a salad too, Robbie ," noticed Cat ," we match "

He smiled at her enthusiasm . " Matching salads "

She stole a crouton from his salad , sending him a mischievous smile while doing so .

Andre sat next to Tori, placed an arm around her shoulder , and stole a kiss .

" Dre! You surprised me with that ! "

" I wanted a kiss ," told Andre , plain and simple ," that okay with you, baby ?"

" Yes , its okay " Tori leaned into his shoulder ," oooh, you got ravioli "

" Figured we could share …" said Andre then turned his gaze to the sullen looking girl who was lost in her thoughts and playing on her phone ," what's up , Jade ?"

" Nothing ," spat out Jade ," I don't want to talk "

The four exchanged mutual looks as no one wanted to do or say anything to enrage her more .

" Robbie , did you want to watch another movie with me for extra credit ?" asked an eager Cat , " Sikowitz said we could do as many as we wanted …."

" Sure , as long as it isn't Titanic "

" Robbie " pouted Cat , because it was one of her favorite movies .

" That movie is way too long , Cat, and depressing ," added Robbie ," we all knows what happens ….pick any other movie you want and I'll watch it with you "

" They were doomed to die " said Andre as Tori swatted at his arm in reproach .

Jade was contemplative ." Drowning wouldn't be a bad way to go….not so messy "

" Hey guys ," greeted Beck, his hand on the back of a petite blonde who was dressed in dancers apparel ," mind if we join you ?"

The four friends shared fearful looks and Tori gestured her head with a jerk towards Jade .

She managed to find her voice first," Uh….well, you see, we ….I guess you..can "

" Tori , no …" pleaded Cat in a tiny voice , shooting a worried glance at Jade .

If looks could have killed then Jade would have already murdered Tori on the spot..

" It's alright , Cat ," Jade's voice held an edge to it ," it's a free table "

Beck slid his eyes towards Jade , silently asking her not to make a scene and hoping that she would act mature about this .

" Thanks " Beck took a seat and kyra sat beside him, " I told Kyra it'd be cool "

" Hi everyone " greeted Kyra ,"Robbie, I almost didn't recognize you without the puppet "

" Rex isn't a puppet " said Robbie, matter of fact .

" Robbie and Rex are fighting " explained Cat ," so Robbie is punishing Rex and making him stay in his locker all day at school …"

" I should have done it much sooner but I didn't …."

" We're all happy about it too " contributed Tori, grateful for a different subject .

Jade wore an unreadable expression on her face and that was worrisome .

She narrowed her eyes at the dancer . " Hey there …Kyra "

" Jade "

" Uh oh " muttered Tori , under her breath and sent her friend a pleading look .

Which Jade seemed to ignore .

" You work fast ," darted Jade," do you remember the time a year and a half ago when you hit on Beck in front of me ? Cause I do and I'd be happy to give you a refresher on how that went down ….."

" Jade, please, don't do this …." asked Beck, calmly .

" Do what, Beck ? Talk to your new girlfriend ? You must have realized I was sitting here with …our friends …lots of empty tables around here you could have sat at instead "

" I thought we could still be civil " tried Beck ," and I hadn't actually noticed you "

Jade stood ," Liar . I never thought there would be a day, Beckett Oliver, when you would look me in the face and straight out lie . Guess I was wrong ….don't worry, I'm done ..for now …."

" Jade, come on ! I wouldn't have a problem if you dated …someone "

Jade grabbed her bag, hitting kyra in the face with it as she swung around and stood, blue -green eyes blazing ." You really are a bastard, Beck "

It wasn't her usual degrading slur and that made it so much worse as she hurried out of the café .

No one uttered a word while they debated on what to do.

Beck closed his eyes and felt the sting knowing it had hit him and knowing he had brought it on himself . " Cat , maybe you should check on her …."

" Kay, kay ," Cat reached for Tori ," come on, I think we should both go "

" I don't know if Jade wants to share with me , Cat ….." hesitated Tori, unsure .

" You'd be surprised …" offered Beck as Robbie and Andre sent him questioning looks .

" Fine but I cant see this being good ," Tori reached for Andre ," if Cat and I aren't back in twenty minutes , promise me you'll come find me in case Jade decides to kill me "

" You got it "

Cat and Tori raced off inside the school , heading to the Black Box Theatre .

" So, it's a good thing I don't eat lunch ," joked Kyra ," or I would have lost my appetite "

" You don't eat ?" questioned Beck, who was used to girls with healthy appetites .

" Water and yogurt is my staple ," answered the dancer ," its part of my lifestyle "

Andre made a sound in his throat. " Really glad Tori eats like a regular girl …not a damn toothpick "

" Cat might be tiny but the girl doesn't starve herself …." added Robbie , thinking of her curves and how much enjoyment she got out of eating sweets or some nachos .

" Well, neither Tori or Cat are dancers ," Kyra was defensive," you two didn't have a problem with girls weight when you took ballet a couple years ago …."

Robbie and Andre were sheepish .

" Chill down, Kyra , Rob and I were just making some observations is all "

The two had taken ballet to meet girls which hadn't worked at all and the class had been more painful and humiliating than anything else .

" Sorry ," apologized Kyra," I shouldn't have said anything . Jade makes me nervous…"

" Jade makes everyone nervous " allowed Andre , knowingly .

" You need to put Jade out of your mind ," Assured Beck, placing his arm across her shoulders ," I know her . She isn't going to actually do anything , Kyra "

" You are so sweet, Beck " gushed Kyra, leaning in and kissing him.

" Now I am really uncomfortable …" confided Robbie , on a sigh and missing Cat .

" We should have gone with the girls …" finished Andre, " cause this is bad chizz "

The Black Box was empty as Cat and Tori made their way into the theatre, hoping that this was where Jade had taken off to as she wasn't in the janitors closet .

" I don't think she is here , Cat ," said Tori, " maybe she just went home "

" No, listen ….." says Cat, moving towards the stage , detecting the sounds of crying .

" Jade , Jade , its Cat and Tori "

" Go…away ….leave " called out Jade, through her muffled tears .

Cat and Tori walked backstage and found Jade sitting on a trunk, sobbing into a old flannel shirt and wielding scissors with her other hand , as if she was going to cut it .

" Oh Jade ," implored Cat, her heart going out to her friend ," I'm sooo sorry "

She reached over to hug her ," Beck is being such a horrible meanie and a jerk "

Jade closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment of weakness , accepting the redheads hug . " Why ..why would he want her ? She's a vapid , stupid gank ….he couldn't have an intelligent conversation with the gank if he tried though I suppose he isn't really wanting to talk …."

" Jade ! That's nasty " Cat covered her mouth with her hands .

Jade wiped her eyes, and clenched the shirt with her hand, roughly . " Vega "

" Jade , its so obvious you are still in love with Beck ," stated Tori ,confused ," have you tried maybe , I don't know, not ignoring him and telling him you want to get back together ?"

" I'm not making the gesture this time , Tori ," spat out Jade, angrily ," its always me . He knows I wont pretend with him and …if he doesn't still love me then I wont beg for him no matter how much I still love him "

" You are miserable " says Cat , in a small voice .

" I'll get over it and him," declared Jade , silent tears trekking down her face ," I could have handled him hooking up with Tori or any other skank but Kyra . Makes me want to slit my wrists ….."

Cat reached for her hands , holding them in despair. " Jadey, please, you cant do that ! You shouldn't hurt yourself over a boy ..it isn't right "

" Jade wouldn't actually do that ," added Tori, sitting down on the other side of her ," right ? "

" Sure " said Jade , jabbing into the shirt viciously with her scissors ," I'd get more pleasure taking my revenge out on the little ganky dancer instead …"

" That wont help you with Beck ," advised Tori , in a softer tone ," might make him mad "

" I'll feel better …" admitted Jade, aiming her scissors at Tori ," don't you so much as breathe a word about this to anyone , Tori, or I promise I will find new , fun ways to hurt you if I have to grind bush daisies in Cat's juicer and make you a smoothie I will "

Tori was deathly allergic to bush daisies and Jade was well aware of the fact .

" Who would I want to tell besides Andre ?"

" I would share with Robbie " interjected Cat ," what, he is your friend too "

Jade wiped her face on the shirt which still smelled faintly of Beck's cologne .

" Look I appreciate the ..girly chat but you've wasted too much time of my life as it is and your boring me ," decided Jade ," Beck had a clearer shot to my heart so he took it . I never figured the Canadian would have the guts for it but another strike for me .

Now thanks , the both of you, now ..just go and leave me alone so I can shred this "

The girls obliged and left their friend alone to cry in private .

It would actually seem as this was the final straw that had broken Jade West .


	11. Chapter 11

The last class had let out for the day at Hollywood Arts signaling the end of the school day and found Robbie, cat, Tori, and Andre milling around the stairs, talking , and seemingly in no hurry to go home .

" So, Cat and I decided to go all out for our assignment for Sikowitz ,' explained Robbie , casually touching the small of Cat's back and missing the way she blushed at him ," Ms. Awesome Costume designer Valentine here is going to make us period costumes even "

" You mean me ?" chipped in Cat, bouncing on her toes .

" Sure do , Cat "

" I found a really cool pattern for an old fashioned suit for Robbie ," says Cat , twisting her hands together ," its black . He looks very nice in black and I thought I might even make a hat too….I want to improve my hat making "

" I'm sure your hat making is great, Cat," told Robbie ," but I look awful in hats . "

Cat tapped his head and giggled ," I don't think you look that bad . Besides this isn't a ball cap but a fancy hat …."

" Thanks a lot, Cat " chuckled Robbie, amused .

" Maybe we should have Cat whip us up a fake pregnancy belly for you, Tor " brought up Andre, dark eyes teasing the half Latina with a bit of fun .

He placed a hand across her stomach and rubbed it. " Gotta show some love to the mama of my baby boy "

Tori batted his hand away. " Andre , we're pretending ! "

He sent her a sexy smile that had her leaning into him. " Might be fun though , babe "

" I don't want to be pretend pregnant so thanks but noooo " stated Tori, firmly .

" Darn ," says a disappointed Cat," I could totally make that for you "

" Sikowitz has been weirder than normal for this assignment ," predicted Andre," who knows what kind of crazy he has for us all next . I don't think anything extra could hurt …"

" Robert "

All eyes turned to the pretty blonde who walked over and placed a possessive kiss on Robbie's mouth .

So this was the girlfriend .

Robbie was taken back ." Roxanne, what are you doing here ? "

" I thought I would surprise you today, Robert, and besides I missed my boyfriend "

He bent to give her a light kiss . " Wow, I am really happy to see you. "

This was really the first time since they had started dating that he felt as if she reciprocated some of his feelings back.

Granted they were still early in their relationship and he didn't know all that much about being in them to start with . He had kind of been using the former Beck and Jade as an aim because when they had been a couple, it had been so evident that they loved each other .

Robbie wanted love to be the top priority in his relationship.

" So, are these your friends ?"

" They are ," Robbie gestured to the three ," Roxanne, this is Andre, Tori, and Cat "

" Hey there "

" Hi " Tori lifted a hand in a casual wave .

" Hello ," says Cat, brightly ," I'm really happy to meet you "

She couldn't help but notice how fashionable his girlfriend was dressed or how possessive she seemed to be towards Robbie .

Robbie had his arm around her and he seemed really ..comfortable .

Cat gulped and smoothed her lips together , thinking she needed to go home .

" Robert talks about you guys all of the time ," brought up Roxanne ," its nice to finally meet you all "

" Your from North Ridge " this came from André , who received a glare from his girl .

Roxanne laughed . " Don't believe all of the rumors you hear about us," she declared ," only maybe a half of them are true "

" Ohhh , cause we hear a lot about them …" muttered Cat, intently watching Robbie .

He was being all couply with Roxanne cause k, they were together .

She tried to ignore the churning in her stomach and the uncomfortableness that she felt from being around them. There was no reason for her to be feeling like this because obviously she had made a mistake about the cupcake and everything with Robbie .

Robbie had just been being a good friend .

" What did I interrupt or was it some Hollywood arts secret ?" asked Roxanne

" Hardly ," answered Robbie ," just our acting assignment for Sikowitz . I mentioned it to you the other night …Cat and I are partners . So are Tori and Andre "

Roxanne narrowed her eyes and took in the little redhead, who seemed to be watching her boyfriend with interest. This angered her ,more than she thought possible .

Robert was her geek, after all.

She didn't like to share , even a little bit .

" Right , the acting exercises , and the films " recalled Roxanne, politely .

" You know, Robert, I thought we could go back to my house ,"she said , seductively," the hot tub is empty …."

Andre 's jaw nearly hit the ground and he sent his friend a nod of male appreciation .

" Uuh , ..hot tub …sure " squeaked out Robbie, still not believing his ears .

He was tempted to pinch himself but he didn't want her to think he was crazy.

Things like this just didn't happen to Robbie Shapiro .

Cat bit her lip and shook her head . She didn't think Robbie was that kind of guy .

He had always been a gentleman and it was one of the things she liked about him.

Guess he was as much a jerky boy like most of them were . She found herself disappointed and a bit hurt .

" You..you aren't going to help me with our costumes, Robbie ? I thought you could be my model for your suit …"

Robbie came back down to earth at the sad tone in her voice . " Sorry, Cat, but I really need to spend time with Roxanne ," replied Robbie , trying not to gaze into those big brown eyes that could make him do anything ," besides your brilliant with sizes . You don't need me to help with that …."

" Kay, kay …" Cat fiddled with the strap on her backpack, refusing to look at him.

Tori wanted to strangle Robbie for being such a dumb guy !

" Let's go, Robert …" She led him out of the school ," nice meeting you all "

Once they were out of earshot, they three couldn't help but share their thoughts .

" Jade was right ," announced Tori , making a strangled noise in the back of her throat ," I hate that ! Roxanne is a gank ! Hate her .."

" Yeah she's bad ," added Andre ," but really HOT "

" Andre ! "

" I don't like her either …" Cat's voice was soft and sad ," but Robbie does "

" Right but Rob lucked into that,' commented Andre, thinking he needed to tell Beck about this development ," what ? it's the truth and she is so Hot ! "

" You are not helping, Andre ! Focus ! "

" Sorry ," Andre realized that Cat hadn't really said much ," ill Red, how you doin?"

" I should go home now since Robbie isn't going to help me with our costumes ," muttered Cat, under her breath ," but why would he ? I mean, he has a sexy girlfriend that has a hot tub and a cupcake was ..just a cupcake . Bye , you guys "

Before either of her friends could respond, Cat ran out of the school, as fast as if she had on bouncing shoes .

" The girl is upset " noted Andre ,' aw chizz, probably shouldn't have said what I did "

" Probably is right ," Tori sighed ," what should we do about Cat ?"

Andre slung an arm around her shoulder . " Seems to me Cat wants to be alone , so unless she sends out mass texts freaking out over Rob, I say we just do nothing "

" But I don't like to just..do nothing " whined Tori , red lips pouting at him.

" I know, baby, I know , but let's just wait this one out and see what happens "

Robbie couldn't believe he was sitting in a hot tub, jets bubbling around him, waiting for Roxanne to join him. He wished he had swim trunks instead of his Sponge Bob boxers but then again, he would have never expected this to be happening in the first place.

Stuff like this happened to cool guys , not him.

He glanced down at his chest, self -conscience of his build and knowing he didn't have abs or a six pack or really anything to make a girl swoon.

Granted , he'd been lifting weights with Andre and Beck lately but he didn't think he had much muscle definition or anything to show from it. .

He almost wished he had Rex here with him...he would be less nervous .

" Now isn t this much better than being a pin cushion for your friend ? " called out Roxanne, who slid in the tub beside him. She had a sleek , sexy white bikini and Robbie gulped and tried to keep himself under control.

" Cat ," informed Robbie," her name is Cat "

" Right , Cat , I see ," Roxanne ran a hand through his hair which was starting to curl due to the heat and the water ," I just heard today at school that you are quite popular among some of ..the other North Ridge girls, Robert "

" Um, Rex and I have dated a few girls from your school before " allowed Robbie

" Fascinating ," Roxanne leaned in, taking him into a heated kiss ," I like fascinations "

Her hands moved across his chest. " I think we should get to know each other better "

Robbie came up from the haze of lust to look at her and instead of blonde hair, he pictured a laughing Cat, fiery red hair blowing in the wind and the cute pink bikini she wore when they went to the beach.

Damn !

Cat wasn't suppose to be in his mind when his girlfriend was trying to seduce him !

" I agree," said Robbie , wiping his forehead," the heat is really fogging up my glasses . Why don't we dry off and talk ? I would love to know more about your likes..besides lattes and shopping . We haven't really had much of a chance to get to do that…I mean, with everything and homework…"

Roxanne traced a lazy pattern across his chest with her manicured fingernail.

" You want to talk ? Robert, you do understand that I meant we should have sex "

Robbie swallowed and tried to collect his thoughts . He might be every kind of stupid and a fool to pass up this opportunity…it was an opportunity for sex with a hot girl.

However, he knew he wasn't in love with her and that was something that was important to him. They barely knew each other and as hot and appealing as the idea was, he knew he was going to have to pass on it .

" Yes, of course, and I cant believe I am saying no either " brought up Robbie , trying to be sensitive of her feelings ," but we are still getting to know each other , Rox "

" That is what I am suggesting, Robert , getting closer ….."

" That is ..sweet but I am sort of old fashioned, I guess ," admitted an uncomfortable Robbie ," we've only been dating a little while. I wouldn't be comfortable doing that ..so, I would understand it if you decided to break up with me "

Roxanne leaned back in the bubbling water and considered this . She had never been turned down before ..let alone by some geek.

However, this would just add to the challenge and she could manage it just fine .

" I respect that," said Roxanne ," so, why don't you go clean off your glasses and I want to know more about your friends I just met , Robert "

" Sure " said a relieved Robbie, climbing out of the hot tub and reaching for a towel.

He glanced curiously at his pear phone but it was silent .

Guilt began to bother him ,aware that he had bailed on Cat in a heartbeat .

He could have been nicer to her but no, he couldn't wait to spend some alone time with Roxanne and now it just felt incredibly awkward .

Maybe he needed to get some advice from Beck on how to handle forward women .

Meanwhile in his RV, Beck couldn't seem to focus on anything .

Jade had emailed him a copy of their script for their acting class ..it was gritty, powerful, and passionate . Not to mention , this was some of her best writing .

He wanted to tell her this but she still really didn't want to have a conversation with him.

That made him incredibly sad because they had meant so much to one another .

Beck didn't miss all of the fighting but in the quietness, he missed Jade's presence .

Her unwavering faith in him, and her love . He had never doubted Jade's love .

Those moments when it was just him and her , holding each other close, and she would be open and vulnerable and real. When she wasn't being guarded and mean.

The rush of energy and excitement from bickering over stupid things or Tori.

Not that he had ever had a romantic interest in Tori at all but there was something really hot and beautiful about making Jade crazy jealous over it .

Now with Andre and Tori dating and Cat and Robbie making goo goo eyes at each other, Beck felt out of the loop and incredibly alone .

He had a date with Kyra tomorrow evening at Nozu that he should be looking forward to.

She was attractive and with legs that went on forever .

Granted , she didn't want to talk about much besides dancing and being popular.

Not much for intellect or a debate on acting exercises or his new idea for a short play .

Restless, Beck walked over to his table, opened a script and stared at the picture of himself and Jade , kissing at a Friday Night concert not so long ago.

Robbie had snapped the shot, saying that it was an expressive picture of Hollywood arts favorite couple.

He tossed the picture back inside and decided this wasn't helping him.

Maybe a walk would help to clear his mind of all things Jade West and the feelings that seemed to go along with them.

Feelings he wasn't quite ready to acknowledge to himself or anyone else just yet .

Tori and Andre sat close on the Vega sofa, arms around each other, involved in a serious kiss that seemed to go on and on. Andre ran a hand through her thick , brown hair and kissed her with all of his pent up emotions , savoring her .

" Andre " murmured Tori, between kisses ," did you really write Song To You about me ? I mean, you wrote it for me ?"

Andre groaned and pulled away from the kiss ." you inspired me , Tori "

" Goody ," Tori moved closer to him ," I didn't know that . Did I ever tell you how I really didn't like any of the girls you dated ?"

He chuckled and played with her hair. " That wasn't exactly a secret …you told me you didn't like them, Tori "

" I told you as a friend I didn't like them ," corrected Tori ," now I am telling you I was…sort of jealous, I suppose , though I had no right to be "

" Had to kiss a lot of girls to get to the right one " Andre kissed her , tenderly .

" you do know, Andre, that that charm wont work on me "

" I knew that ," Andre nuzzled her neck," we get back to making out now ?"

" In a minute ," Tori was thoughtful," you don't think we should be worried about Cat and Robbie ? Or Beck and Jade ?"

" No," answered Andre, loving how supportive and a wonderful friend his girl was even though it was going drive him wonky ," if they want our help, we can help them . Right now, whatever this crazy chizz is their own doing and we should stay of it "

" But you know how upset Jade is ….that's dangerous on a good day " reminded Tori," and what Beck is doing is just wrong "

" we all know that getting between those tow isn't good " Andre leaned in to kiss her ," and where were we ?'oh, yea, some Tori lips …love me some lips "

She smiled at him and he dove back in for another kiss that wiped thought clean from her head. It was just her and Andre and all these feelings that rushed over them .

They were so involved in the kissing that they jumped when Trina burst in, slamming the door loudly, and cursing , rudely .

" Cant you two find somewhere to do that where I don't have to watch you ," Trina tossed her bag on the floor ," North Ridge men are male ganks . Im just saying ….like they think they can just tell me what to do and I'll just do it "

Andre heaved a disgusted sigh ," We don't care …."

" We really don't ….please leave, Trina ," begged Tori," Andre and I want to be alone "

Trina plopped down on the other sofa and crossed her arms . " No, " stated Trina ," you don't need to make out all the time anyway. So, let me tell you about my hot guy because he is a wazbag ….we're all having a fancy dinner and Leo starts on about how I need to go get spray tanned . Can you believe that ?"

" Why not ," Andre leaned back, putting his arm around Tori and shaking his head ," you know, Trina, we don't really care ..'

" You'd better , Andre, cause im sure Mom and Dad would love to hear all about you and Tori's little make out sessions while they are gone " reminded Trina, sharply .

" TRINA" growled Tori, wanting to murder her older sister .

" I am perfectly even hued in my skin tone ," Trina was on a roll ," not to mention it would clash with my feet. I pay good money for my foot bleaching, you know . Do you believe the nerve of some guys ? I told him I wasn't some North Ridge girl who was going to jump to change herself at his whim…told him Trina Vega don't work that way "

" Uh, good for you " commented Tori, patting Andre's thigh .

" Your dating a dude from North Ridge ?" asked Andre , bored already.

" They are equally hot " told Trina ," and naturally so I am. It made sense …now I am just wazzed off . Tori, make me some cream of wheat ….."

" I am not making you cream of wheat ," retorted Tori ," Andre and I are busy. Go make your own cream of wheat and leave us alone …."

" You know I bet Dad doesn't know how many times Andre has been over here to see you, sis, " smiled Trina ," at , ohm, three in the morning ..in your pajamas "

Tori wanted to strangle her sister on the spot .

" Make the girl some cream of wheat , " Andre kissed her cheek ," I'll go get us some pizza and we can continue ..where we left off in private "

" I don't want to fix her food " protested Tori as an amused Trina looked onward .

" You heard Andre ," grinned Trina ," make your big sister her cream of wheat or I just might decide that I want t o share pizza with you two lovebirds .."

" Fine but then you are leaving me and Andre alone " declared Tori, marching into the kitchen as Andre headed out of the door to pick up some pizza .

" Glad too " smirked Trina ," I don't want to watch him swallow you whole anyhow "

Tori tossed a spatula at her sister and prayed that Andre hurried back super fast.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer ; I still don't own Victorious or Cat and Robbie would have gotten together already.

Jade sat on the floor against the lockers trying to focus on the fact that she and Beck would be performing together for Sikowitz today. The scene they were playing out was good and she had no doubt that she and Beck could totally nail the performance .

She just wasn't so sure that she could fake the passion she still felt for him.

It didn't help that Beck had sent her a text lat e last night about the scene .

She hadn't bothered answering him. He would figure it out himself .

" Jade "

Beck crouched in front of her and held out a coffee . " Black , two sugars . Will you take the coffee as a peace offering ?"

" I wasn't aware you and I were at war " jade accepted the coffee and stood ," where is your little grungy girlfriend ? Figured she'd be hanging onto your every word and batting her eyelashes at you ….."

" Kyra is hardly my girlfriend "

Jade arched a brow . " That isn't what it says on her Slap page "

" You care ?" asked Beck, pleased that she wasn't throwing things at him or running away .

" No , you don't get to ask me that, Beck ," stated Jade ," we're broken up. You know , maybe I ought to consider dating someone new myself ….."

Sinjin darted around the corner , peering over her shoulder. " I'm available, my love "

" NOOOO " yelled Jade , glaring at him.

" Your not in the mood, I understand " Sinjin skipped off to his first period class .

" You could take Sinjin out of his misery …" Beck couldn't resist teasing her .

" Shut up and leave me alone ," said Jade , blithely ," besides giving me coffee, what did you want ? Cause I really don't want to be talking to you…"

" This script you wrote for us ," Beck was sincere ," its wonderful. It has to be some of your best writing ….we should try to get it performed as a play here "

Jade nodded and looked away. His words echoing in her ears and reminding her how much it meant when he was proud of something she had written .

Even now, his words felt as if it was going to undo her and she was doing so well.

" Thanks " Jade met his gaze and recognized a moment of emotion there between them ," uh, look, I really want to check on Cat ."

" What's wrong with Cat ?" asked Beck, not wanting her to go .

" Nothing ," shrugged Jade," I don't know ….she sent me some strange texts about guys she's dated . I think it has something to do with Robbie but who knows …seemed like she was sort of sad "

" Interesting " mused Beck ," thought Andre said Rob had a hot date with his girlfriend after school yesterday "

" Whoa, you got that in one , I'm impressed " said a sarcastic Jade as Cat came down the stairs , playing on her pear phone and not her normally cheery self .

Jade walked away from him, approaching Cat, and aware of Beck following her .

" Cat, what's up ?"

Cat put her phone away. " Oh hey ," greeted Cat, noticing Beck as well and grew curious ," hi Beck. Are you guys talking to each other now ?"

" I don't know ….." shot out Jade, concentrating on her coffee .

There was no sense in wasting good coffee , let alone free coffee.

Beck sent her an incredulous look. " We were just talking …..not five minutes ago "

" OOOOH "

" Kay kay ," answered Cat, fearful of getting between them again. Sometimes they had a tendency to upset her and make her faint . She really wasn't in the mood to faint this morning ," so, I worked on my gown for the assignment …its really pretty "

" Yeah, I got the pictures you sent me ," told Jade ," turned out really …good . Robbie ought to ..you know , think you look pretty in it …its all soft and stuff "

Beck lifted a brow as he tried to interpret the conversation between the two girls .

It seemed to him that in her own way, Jade was trying to help Cat ..with Robbie .

Which sounded strange , even to him, but it was what it was .

Cat shrugged and picked at her fingernail polish, trying to pretend that it didn't matter what Robbie thought . They were friends and..nothing more .

" I am pretty sure that Roxanne wouldn't want Robbie to be thinking anything about me ," pointed out Cat ," and since they are a couple, I shouldn't either . Think about ..what Robbie thinks…oh, you know what I mean ….."

Jade couldn't help the smile that made its way around her red lips .

It was kind of funny how hard Cat was trying to hide her new feelings for Robbie.

" I do…..get it "

" Did I miss something ?' asked Beck, feeling as if he was out of the loop.

" NO " chorused both girls in one voice .

" Are you sure about that, Cat ," brought up Jade , matter of fact," because I spent oh two hours of my life last night ..two long hours I cant get back, listening to you dissect all of the skunk bags and assholes you've dated "

" They weren't all bad "

" No, they were ," pointed out Jade ," all of them , Cat . "

" Kay kay , maybe they were but I didn't think so when I was dating them ," says Cat, softly," I just want someone who is smart and nice . Is it too much to want to be with a guy who doesn't think I'm stupid or is dating me because I'm pretty …..or ..never mind "

Smart and nice .

Jade and Beck understood that their friend had just described Robbie Shapiro .

" **You are a damn , chizzin fool . If you don't believe me the first 50 times I've told you, let me remind you, that you are a fool and an idiot turning down the only opportunity you'll ever have in your sorry excuse for a life " Rex was on a roll and Robbie was helpless to stop him ," you are such a loser, Robbie ." **

Robbie hung his head, mortified and let the words wash over him, allowing them to really sink in and knowing it wasn't normal . He wasn't normal.

" I know, I know , " said a contrite Robbie ," you weren't there though "

" **Your fault for going in without me to guide you," went on Rex ," only 17 year old geek that would turn down sex , any sex, in a hot tub with a hot babe . Still don't know why the super fine North Ridge didn't dump your sorry lopsided ass when you had the nerve to turn her down ….." **

" Enough, Rex ," told Robbie, quietly ," I know I was wrong "

" **I blame the perky redhead ," tossed back Rex with an edge in his tone ," you gotta get it through your stubborn head that nothing is ever gonna happen there . **

**Remember this , **Rob, **or else you 'll be played the fool again with a busted heart " **

Robbie gritted his teeth in frustration , his insecurities about his life creeping up to the surface and knocking down the confidence he had slowly been building up again.

" **you know I'm right . Only thing you got to take care of is finding your inner cool and keeping Roxanne satisfied with your dorky self . Forget about Cat " **

Forget Cat …how could he forget about the sweetest presence in his life ?

It was a near to impossible thing and she brought such joy by just being around him .

Which wasn't getting over her , he knew that, but it was increasingly difficult .

" I know your right but just shut up about it " scolded Robbie , afraid that somehow Cat would accidentally hear them and be wounded by the harshness of it .

" Hey guys " Robbie noticed his friends hanging around and joined them .

It was interesting that it was Jade, Beck, and Cat . Especially considering that until recently the former couple had been avoiding each other except in classes .

He didn't ponder this too long when his eyes drank in the sight of Cat, who reminded him of blue skies and spring and sunshine . She was dressed in a short , bright blue dress and matching blue Keds.

She looked so pretty.

" Rob" acknowledged Beck,

C

I see that you brought Rex with you today " noted Cat with a frown.

He hadn't brought the puppet with him for a while and now there was Rex.

Something must be bothering Robbie if he brought him with him.

" I think I have punished him enough "

" Been hell with all of the torture .." exaggerated Rex, boldly.

" Thought that grunge your dating didn't like the puppet " cut in Jade .

Robbie was chagrined . " I've mentioned Rex ," confessed Robbie ," but I've never actually..explained about him. It's just easier …"

" Idiot hasn't figured out I dated a lot of North Ridge girls myself " added Rex ," word is gonna get back to his own then he'll have some explaining to do "

" Puppet has a point " told Jade , glancing at Cat , who was taking it all in.

" You never told her ..even though Rex is a part of who you are, Robbie ?" asked Cat in a very soft voice .

Her eyes met his and a silent question seemed to be in them , one he didn't know how to answer , was afraid to interpret what she was asking him.

" Yes "

" Oh " was all that would emerge from Cat ," so, how was the ..hot tub ?"

Why did she ask him that ? She really didn't want to know and wondered if he would actually tell her something so private. Afraid that she would hurt if Robbie had slept with Roxanne and wishing she could just go back to the old friendship they had but that had changed .

Changed things for her, anyway.

" Hot tub," Robbie felt flames color his face in embarrassment ," was too..hot for me .Not really the hot tub type of guy…Roxie is more ..adventurous than I am anyways . "

He stuttered a nervous laugh," My girlfriend had ..other ideas for us …"

Jade gaped at him, wanting to stab Robbie with her scissors and then noticed the crestfallen expression that Cat was so desperately trying to hide .

" Oh …." murmured Cat, biting her lip and not quite meeting his gaze .

Guess Robbie was serious about Roxanne if they had sex and it seemed as if they had .

Her heart ached and she tried to think of a way to leave this conversation without being rude.

" Oh " answered Jade, darkly . She glared daggers at Robbie, who shrank back, afraid .

Beck clapped his hand on the back. " Thinking you, me , and Andre ought to hang out tonight, dude "

" Sure "

" Well, I..if that's what you want in a girlfriend, Robbie , then ..I'm glad you had a good time " lied Cat, trying to fight back her tears and not show him her own feelings .

Obviously Robbie had more feelings for his girlfriend than she had understood and thinking it must be serious . He was starting to sound like Rex with his bragging and that wasn't the Robbie Shapiro that she cared about but then again, maybe she shouldn't be letting her feelings get the best of her either .

Which is exactly what she had been doing and she had been trying so hard .

" We really did , thanks ," said Robbie, pleasantly ," so, Cat, did you work on my costume ? I thought maybe you would have sent me pictures of it ..and I was at Roxie's till ten but I had my phone on . "

He paused and couldn't figure out why she wouldn't look at him . " Cat , I know you were excited about making our costumes "

She pursed her lips together and didn't quite look him in the eyes.

" I was but I changed my mind ," stated Cat, simply ," I made my dress last night . I didn't feel like making your suit ….you were busy ..with your girlfriend and it is our assignment, Robbie. I wasn't going to make it if you weren't going to come help me with it ….."

Robbie felt as if he'd been slapped . Why was Cat being so cold to him ?

" I'm sorry about that ," apologized Robbie, instantly ," of course , I will help you "

" Fine " Cat turned and walked away from him, hoping no one noticed that her legs were like jelly and headed towards acting class .

" Good one , Cat " told an impressed Jade ," for you, that was a nice frosty for Robbie "

" I don't know what you mean …" Cat was too worried to even make a funny about the frosty .

Jade grabbed her friends arm. " Cat, you just totally iced Robbie out back there "

" Well, He's acting disgusting like Rex and I don't like it " declared Cat, simply as the girls took seats next to each other in the acting class room .

Beck and Robbie came in, moments after, and found seats nearby. Tori and Andre were already there , sitting together and talking all quiet among themselves, completely oblivious to the drama surrounding their friends .

" Why are you all late ?" Andre turned around to question Beck.

" Not in here , dude ," said Beck in a low voice ," you, me , and rob gotta hang tonight at my place. Think we need to talk about ..some things "

He gestured at Robbie who was trying to talk to Cat, who appeared to be ignoring him.

" Things ? What kind of…things ?" questioned Andre, curiously .

" Big , important things …" answered Beck, vaguely .

Andre nodded . " That's cool "

Robbie couldn't understand why Cat was acting the way she was , it made no sense .

" I told Roxanne how talented you are at making costumes and dresses ," Robbie was trying ," I have some of the costumes you made before your Advanced Costume Design on my phone . She was impressed and mentioned hiring you to design her some dresses ….."

" I am not making your girlfriend clothes " stated Cat , vehemently .

" Roxie would pay you good money, Cat ," went on a baffled Robbie ," and it's a good advertisement for your talent . You could sell your designs to the girls of North Ridge …."

" I'm not a seamstress and I don't want to " Cat crossed her arms over her chest .

Robbie was being such a jerk !

" Rob ," Jade made a slicing motion across her throat," cut it out "

" I think that might be wise ," agreed Tori, who had been listening to the argument ," so, Robbie, you and the girlfriend are getting closer, I take it "

" Sure we are ," confided Robbie ," we just needed to spend more quality together time . You know, like couples do, and I feel like Roxanne and I are much closer since last night .I really feel like we have ..something "

" Something hot " contributed Rex with a leer.

Cat considered throwing the puppet out of the window but just ignored him instead .

" Children ," Sikowitz swept in the room," glad to see there hasn't been any riots over Beck's Slap page . I had almost expected to walk in this room and find that the sweet bitterness known as Jade had murdered him ….so proud that you've shown maturity "

" What are you talking about ?" asked Jade , who hadn't bothered checking his page at all. That ganky dancer had posted enough on hers but she had given Beck the benefit .

Now she wondered what her ex-boyfriend had posted ….

" Moving on ," Sikowitz tossed his bag on the floor, took a hearty drink of his coconut and flopped in a middle seat ," Jade, Beck, I want to see this master piece of passion that was emailed to me .last night ….I am intrigued "

Jade shot up from her chair , heading for the stage. " You emailed my script to him ?"

" I was surprised you hadn't …" hissed Beck," I believe in this script, Jade "

Jade faltered ," Let's just do the scene and forget about it "

" Anytime you two are ready …." called Sikowitz ," forbidden passion and love "

Beck folded his hands as if in silent prayer and allowed himself a moment to breathe the character and the underlining meaning within it .

No longer were they in an acting class but in Salem in a dark woods with moonlight shining through on her dark , inky hair mesmerizing him.

" Did you follow me here ? " Jade started , her eyes piercing ," come to spy on the witch "

Beck stepped forward , his gaze moving appreciatively over her . " No ," Beck's voice was husky ," yes but not for the reasons you think. Your dark beauty entrances me, Morgana , and whether it be magic or an enchantment I only wish to be closer to you "

" To get close enough to me, Samuel, to capture me and burn me on the stake "

Beck moved and crossed the distance between them. " I care not that you are a witch for I have seen the kindness that lies within your heart , and I only long to press my lips to yours "

Jade felt herself tremble ." Lies of men "

" I would never lie to you ," Beck circled Jade , awareness and electricity crackling between them and reverberating throughout the entire room ," you needn't be coy for I have caught you staring at me at the market as well. You would pretend this ..connection doesn't exist between us ?"

" Fancy words when you only want to lie within my arms " muttered Jade , her gaze drawn to the hungry look in Beck's eyes and the seduction in his voice .

Beck caught her arm," It is so much more than that ? I need you, I care not if you're a witch , when I only want to be with you, my love "

" Riveting ," declared a pleased sikowitz ," my skin feels the fire from here "

" How could I trust you with my heart ?" questioned Jade and she didn't know whether she was morgana or herself asking the question .

" Give it to me and let me show you my love " Beck pulled her into his arms and the scene dissolved for them both. It had been so long since they had touched and he struggled with his hold on reality and the performance and watched her struggle in her own blue eyes .

" I..I wont be…used " Jade's voice was a whisper ," not when I too have felt this …passion between us "

" This is so much better than that boring drivel you brought last time " said Sikowitz

" Please …." Beck pulled her close and the second his lips touched hers, a fire lit into his veins and he kissed her with abandon, changing the angle of the kiss, and deepening it until she conceded , giving in with a passion she reciprocated .

" Anyone else think that's Beck and Jade ?' Andre wondered , out loud .

" Oh, I would say so …." agreed Tori , " uh, Sikowitz, maybe you should do something "

Jade clutched his flannel shirt , tightly, and returned his kisses, eagerly . In the back of her mind she knew she was playing a character but all she felt and breathed was Beck .

" Why would I ruin one of the best passionate acting challenges I have ever seen ," commented Sikowitz ," you should all get copies of this script from Jade . I am usually frightened by her twisted mind and bitterness but this is a real gem "

Beck let her go and jade moved apart , putting distance between them, as they stared wordlessly at one another, still lost in the moment and the kiss between them.

" Don't say a word ," Sikowitz stood ," I am going to cut the scene short because we all needn't move into the love scene that Jade has written next. "

He sat his coconut on a chair and moved onto the stage ." The concept was different than the original assignment I gave but bravo, Jade, Beck. If I was wearing a hat, I would tip it to the both of you for that exhilaratingly heated moment of passion "

" Thanks " Beck rubbed his chin, thoughtfully and sent Jade a questioning look .

They had to talk about what had happened in the scene …between them.

Jade nodded and focused on Sikowitz. Damn.

Surely everyone knew it hadn't been Sam and morgana during the kiss , the whole stage kiss had just been a lazy thought on her mind when Beck touched her lips with his .

Now he was going to want to talk and she didn't know what she could say .

" Tomorrow we are going to focus on the choreography of the romance " said Slivovitz as the bell rang ," and I am going to go take a cold shower "

Tori and Cat approached Jade . " You wrote that ?"

" Yea ," answered Jade ," and now I need to go use my new scissors on something unless you want to volunteer, Tori "

" Uh, no, sure don't ," said Tori , nervously ," actually I just wanted to see if you were handling the ..uh, kiss, alright and you clearly are …."

" I'm fine " lied Jade as Beck caught up with her in the hallway .

" Jade ,' brought up Beck, in a low tone ," I think we should talk about the kiss "

" I don't ," said Jade ," we kissed . It was in the script and besides what is there to talk about , Beck ? Passion was never a problem for us in the first place …and you don't want to talk about getting back together so….we're done "

" my God , help me ! " Kyra ran into the hall, her blonde hair now a vibrant green ," my hair ! Look what she did to my hair ! "

The dancer cried and clutched her hair, running over to confront Jade .

" You ! You did this to me ! I hate you, jade West ! "

Jade grinned ," Yeah, the green looks good on you "

" Beck, do something ! " Kyra threw herself in his arms, sobbing , hysterically as the others joined them in the hallway in time to see the spectacle .

" It's alright ," Beck cooed, softly ," I'm sure it will wash right out "

Kyra cried into his chest ," It doesn't ..it wont wash out ! I look hideous "

Beck tried not to smirk but met Jade's gaze . " Why would you do this ?"

Her lips pursed in a knowing smile that was a bit amused . " Why, Beck, I know how much you really like green ….so thought I'd help "

" Jade " Beck tried to send her a disapproving look but it failed . It was funny .

" The girls hair is all green ' pointed out Andre ," really green "

" Yes it is " said a pleased Jade ," I'm gonna go get some gum "

" Why am I not really surprised ," muttered Tori ," this has classic Jade written all over it . We should have expected for her to do something ….sick like this "

" Jade is still hurting ," says Cat," she always acts out when she is hurt "

" Tori, Cat ," Beck pushed Kyra into their arms," could you help Kyra out here ? '

Kyra lifted a tear stained face at him. " Beck, what about me ?"

" The girls will fix you right up ," declared Beck ," I trust them "

" Where are you going ?" asked Robbie though he already knew .

They all knew .

" Jade and I have some unfinished business to talk about " stated Beck, firmly .


	13. Chapter 13

The anorexic little dancer Kyra was still wailing and crying dramatically in the middle of the hallway while Vega and Cat got pulled into trying to console her over her new green hair .

Whatever , it was just dye . Really long lasting dye but it would come out.

Eventually .

Bored and only marginally amused by the sight, Jade decided to head to her locker only to be intercepted by Beck . " Where are you going ?"

" Get out of my way, Beck " dismissed Jade ," go comfort your new girlfriend "

" The girls are helping Kyra ," Beck grabbed her hand," we're talking "

Jade moved around him, trying to wrench her hand free from his hold and ignore the sparks crackling between them. " We've already talked . I'm done "

" I'm not ," Beck was assertive as he began pulling her towards the janitors locker ," go ahead, scream as loud as you want that I am kidnapping you, I don't care …."

Jade sent him a scathing look and reluctantly followed him inside , an impassive expression on her face. " This is getting old, Beck "

She crossed her arms over her chest. " If this is about what I did to your little dancer ," remarked Jade ," you know I did it. I wont lie and I thought it was funny . That green does not go with her pale skin ….and I am not wasting my breath fighting with you over her. "

" Girls like her make me want to puke …."

His mouth twisted into a small smile despite his better judgment . " At least you didn't cut her toe shoes or anything ….."

" I never said that I didn't ,' corrected Jade ," I don't see the point in this and I have class "

" If you don't care then what was the point in all of this ? How about in the scene we just performed …that was less a play than it was about us "

" No ," Jade was outraged ," we're not fighting over this. I know your trying to goad me but we broke up because you hated the fighting and now you keep trying to pick fights with me …"

" That's not what I am doing ! Its called having a conversation "

" Here is one for you, Beck, " brought up Jade , angrily ," I am not the one who is pretending that the three years we had together meant absolutely nothing to you. Because it meant ..everything to me "

Beck sighed ," I never said it didn't ! Stop doing what your doing , Jade "

" Which is why I have tried not talking to you ," Jade suddenly felt tired ," look maybe I shouldn't have dyed the ganks hair green but I did . You wanted all of the attention from other girls and now you are free to do whatever you like with them but it doesn't give you any right to tell me how I should feel or for me to have to like what your doing …."

Girls constantly throwing themselves at Beck had always been an issue for them .

Jade hated it and how he always acted as if it was nothing .

" I never meant to do that….." Beck steepled his hands and tried to find where this conversation had gone wrong instead of noticing the sadness in her blue-green eyes.

" That was a hell of a kiss back there ….."

Jade felt as if he had punched her in the gut, again .

" Unless you have changed your mind in the last ten minutes about us getting back together , I am not doing this …whatever with you anymore .

You figure it out all by yourself, Beck "

Her inky hair framed her face, just curling slightly , the green standing out , and her eyes open and those red lips so inviting, Beck moved in as if she was really a witch , taking her face into his hands and lowering his lips to hers in a deep kiss .

Jade met him kiss for kiss then caught herself and gave him a shove ," No "

" No games ,I'm done ," Jade stumbled a bit ," leave the kissing to acting class. Oh, and don't give Rob any lame ass advice for him to screw up with Cat . "

She moved past him and into the hall, putting as much distance between them as she could , and was thankful that Cat and Vega were busy helping . She wasn't so sure she could explain what she was feeling at the moment and didn't want to have to try .

" Jade ," Sinjin fluttered to her side ," walk you to class "

" Go away " growled Jade , pointedly ignoring him and heading to her class .

Sinjin bounded down the hall with a wave to Tori and Andre, who were by his locker.

Inside the closet, Beck cursed himself for being weak and wished he had knew what had come over him. What had he been thinking kissing Jade like that ?

He was over Jade West . Wasn't he ?

Suddenly and without warning, a trashcan fell apart in pieces , littering the floor around him.

The work of Jade, apparently .

Beck dragged a hand through his hair and considered the truth to her words.

Now that kissing her again had been like manna from heaven .

How was it possible that their break up could make her soft and rough at the same time ?

Maybe he did need to figure out what he was looking for .

Out in the hallway, Cat and Tori had just finished helping Kyra and had stopped to talk to Andre and Robbie .

" It's less green now ," says Cat ," I think she could dance in like a Charlie and the Chocolate factory play but Kyra didn't like my idea . I thought it was creative "

" She was furious though Mr. Beck didn't seem to upset with Jade " noted Tori

" Don't even try going there " said Andre ,knowingly ," it's Jade "

Cat glanced over at Robbie, who appeared to be sending a text. Probably to Roxanne …she was probably the kind of girl who liked to check up on him or made him check in with her . She seemed liked that kind to her , anyway .

" I need to go …I have an appointment with Lane " Cat took off , cheerfully ," see you guys at lunch "

Robbie looked up, " Cat , wait a minute ! "

Cat didn't turn around and pretended not to hear him .

" Tori, here , watch Rex for me …." Robbie shoved the puppet to his baffled friend .

" Rob, don't leave me with her ! What did I tell you about chasing the redhead ! "

" Robbie, I don't want Rex ! Drat ! " grumbled Tori, shaking her head at Andre .

" Just put him in the locker , he might be a while " answered Andre ," whatever the dude did really made Cat mad ….."

" CAT! Wait , please ! " Running, Robbie finally caught up with the petite redhead and managed to touch her arm," why did you run away from me ?"

Cat ignored the tingles in her arm from his touch and pursed her lips, thoughtfully.

" We weren't talking ….you were on your phone so I wasn't running away from you "

" Will you please talk to me ? I feel like I did something to you ..only I have no idea what I did and you know how I hate that " rambled Robbie ," I have promised a dozen times to save you from the bad dream children, Cat "

" It wasn't that," says Cat with uncertainty ," you didn't even ask me if I would consider sewing expensive clothes for your ..new ..girlfriend ? I …I have my own mind, Robbie , you know ..I don't just want to always do what everyone thinks I should or will "

Robbie moved closer and squeezed her wrist, lightly . " I know you do, Cat ," admitted Robbie ," I love how your mind works . "

Her heart turned over in her chest . " Really ?"

" Really , you have the most joyous way of looking at things ," Robbie paused , wryly,' hmm, think I have the most negative . Anyhow , you are right I should have asked you first and I apologize ….Roxanne was talking about fashion and I really was bored . It made me think of all of those awesome costumes you made and how talented you are …I forgot I had taken those pictures of you on my phone "

Pink flushed his cheeks in embarrassment . " Roxie saw them so I had to explain why I had them …."

Cat was quiet , taking in his sweet words and waiting .

Ooops, hadn't meant to let that slip out !

Darnt !

Her lips twitched in a tiny smile . Robbie really was cute when he was all nervous and flustered .

" My Little Bo Peep costume "

" That was my favorite ," admitted Robbie , figuring he was already mortified as it was ," about the pictures, Cat, I swear , I don't have them in a creepy stalker sort of way at all. You know I have all of my friends on my phone ….even Jade "

Cat touched his arm, feeling shy , which was new for her . " I believe you, Robbie "

" You really think my costume making is good ? Cause Andre and Beck still like to tease me about them ….."

" Yes ," answered a sincere Robbie ," I think everything you do is impressive , Cat "

There was another tingle and a ping in her heart .

" That is one of the nicest things you've ever said to me, Robbie "

He tilted his head slightly to look at her, loving the way her eyelashes fluttered and her brown eyes so warm and soft .

" It's the truth "

Cat considered hugging him when her pear phone went off, alerting her of a text.

It was probably just Tori reminding her they had science class soon .

She glanced at the text.

Daniel, again .

" Phooey "

" Who is it ?" inquired a curious Robbie , breaking the spell between them.

Cat deliberated mentioning it to Him but knew how angry he had been at Daniel for hurting her when the break up had happened. Besides she still had no desire to talk with her ex-boyfriend or any curiosity as to why he was texting her in the first place.

" No one important " says Cat, simply ignoring the text .

Robbie frowned , unsure . " Are you sure ? It isn't about your brother ?"

" Oh, no, " answered Cat, pleased that he was the only one concerned to ask her about her big brother ," he's in the special hospital for two days for what he did to the goat with the fire extinguisher …."

" As long as its nothing important ," replied a hopeful Robbie ," so, you forgive me ?"

She considered and gave him a sweet smile ." Yes , I forgive you "

She still wished he wasn't with his girlfriend but Cat felt as if something new had happened again with this . She felt it and was nearly positive Robbie did too.

She wasn't going to give up , not if there was still a chance for her and Robbie .

" Goody " Robbie bounced on his toes, happily .

" So, are you still going to watch a movie with me, Robbie ?" Cat held onto his arm .

" Sure am " agreed Robbie , pulling her into a hug .

Over by the lockers, Tori and Andre were trying to spy on their friends to no avail .

Or rather Tori was trying to spy on them, all the while holding the puppet .

" I think they are hugging ," Tori squinted ," I can only see Rob's hair and Cat's legs "

Andre chuckled , took Rex from his girlfriend and placed him in the open locker .

" Aw Tori, leave them alone ," replied an amused Andre ," I doubt its much more than hugging . Rob's pretty blind about lil Red since he got with North Ridge "

" You need to talk to him about that …." said Tori, gripping Andre's hands in hers and losing herself into those soulful eyes of his ," I am sure he could use the advice . "

" I'll see what I can do…." Andre leaned in for a kiss," later "

" I was thinking you could come over tonight ," Tori pressed both hands to his chest , lightly ," Dad is still working on that case so he wont be home till late . Mom is still working on that big project and she has that late meeting and Trina has her foot bleaching then a date . So, I want to ..make you dinner …."

" Oh, baby, that's great," Andre said, gently ," cept you don't cook so ..good "

" That's not entirely true ," pouted Tori, weakly," I make good omelets and my spicy tuna balls are awesome …"

He laughed , leaning in for another kiss. " How about a rain check ? Robbie and I are hanging with Beck tonight ..it's a dude thing '

" Guy night ," Tori went into suspicious mode," wait, why? You guys have been hanging out way more since he and Jade broke up…"

" Chill down, baby ," Andre moved in for another kiss," promise there isn't anything wonky . Just a bunch of dudes hanging out …"

Tori wrapped her arms around his neck, getting into the kiss more as Trina swept past them in her new Fezzeni boots .

" Get a room "

" TRINA "

Andre smoothed a hand through Tori's brown tresses . " I'm gonna kill her sister "

Later that evening , Andre and Robbie went over to Beck's Rv to hang and found their friend drinking heavily of the lemonade and sorting through pictures of himself and Jade.

" Whatcha doing there , Beck ?" asked Robbie, lifting a picture to look at .

This one showed a smiling couple in a Jacuzzi during the Keenan Thompson party .

" Do you guys think I'm pretending what Jade and I had didn't exist ?" asked Beck

Andre plopped down and poured himself a glass of lemonade .

" That's a deep question, man ," said Andre ," I don't know how to answer it "

" Maybe ," added Robbie ," I mean , I think this month is the first time you and Jade have actually really spoken to each other ..without screaming at each other -since the break up "

He paused, afraid he'd offended Beck. " Or I might be wrong ..I'm not a girl. Cat would know .."

" We weren't happy ," admitted Beck," I wasn't happy . The fighting was too real. You guys were there , you saw it . Before when we fought , it was more like fun bickering …"

" You did tell me she could be ganky " contributed Andre , helpfully .

" Jade had her moments of gankiness but it wasn't always " said Beck, staring at the picture of them sharing a kiss during one of the Friday Night concerts .

" You having second thoughts about you and Jade ?" this came from Robbie .

" No but she accused me of treating our relationship like it meant nothing to me . I am not doing that, I'm moving on ! Kyra is a nice girl ….she isn't Jade but I don't want to date girls who are like my ex girlfriend "

Robbie and Andre exchanged baffled expressions . Beck was the most laid back, calm thinking dude they knew and him acting all weird and snazzy wasn't like him.

" That does make sense …especially if you don't love her anymore " said Robbie

Beck took a sip of lemonade and grew contemplative ." I know ..right "

Andre gulped his beverage . " That scene you acted out in Sikowitz's class….felt more like Beck and Jade than some freaky witchy couple in Salem "

" Damn scene was brilliant ," grumbled Beck, " That's Jade writing from her heart . "

" I'm confused …." said Robbie , perusing the pictures , stopping to stare at a picture of him and Cat dancing together during one of the Friday Night jams .

" We should order Pizza " decided Andre ," I'm starving . "

Beck pulled out his phone and placed the order , a regular pizza fro him and Andre to share and a cheese pizza for Robbie.

" Tori offered to make me dinner tonight ," chuckled Andre," I love the girl but cooking isn't one of her talents . I just don't think I could handle a spicy tuna ball …."

The guys shared a laugh at Tori's little quirks .

" You two seem good ," noted Beck," about time you two figured it out "

" What do you mean ?" asked Andre , also reaching for a stack of pictures .

" You and Tori ," answered Beck, wisely ," pretty obvious, man . I had been hoping Sinjin would have put you two together on Queries for couples ..bet you would have gotten your answers correctly "

" Our friendship was at stake and big deal to both of us " told Andre ," till I cracked ..been holding my emotions in too long …"

Beck turned to face his geeky friend , who oddly enough hadn't brought Rex this time .

" Rob ," brought up Beck, " how adventurous did you and Roxanne get ? I cant believe you even thought to mention that…in front of Cat and Jade "

" You got ..adventurous in the hot tub with Roxanne ? " asked a curious Andre .

Robbie shifted , uncomfortable . " She wanted to have sex "

" OH my God , dude ," reacted Andre ," you and sexy , hot Roxanne in hot tub ? Like wild , hot tub sex and you mentioned this in front of the girls and I am just now hearing this ….you lost your freaking mind , Robbie ?"

Robbie colored , embarrassed . " Roxanne wanted to have sex '

" That's what you meant by adventurous " realized Beck ," makes sense "

" Did you ?" asked Andre, plaintively .

" No," wailed Robbie , needing to talk about it ," I wanted to ! I swear I was like ready to go but then when I kissed her after she offered ..I couldn't ….cause I saw Cat . You don't have to tell me I'm an idiot ! Believe me, I get it and I'll probably never be offered sex again ..frankly I expected Rox to dump me but she understood "

" What do you mean by you saw Cat ?" inquired Beck, who had gleamed that out of his friends panicked ramble .

" So Roxie comes out in this really hot bikini and starts kissing on me ," told Robbie ," it's cool and everything until I look at her …I must have been thinking about Cat . Then I panicked and told her ..Roxie that we didn't know each other well enough for us to be intimate ….I couldn't do it . I don't suppose you guys have ever had anything like that happen to you ?"

" No " answered Beck

" Never " told Andre ," thought there was the whole thing with Sherry after prome but I got carried away . Didn't really think about it ..kept wondering who her best friends brother was cause I knew Tori had never met Cat's brother …."

" You slept with Sherry ?" asked Robbie , " after Prome …..she was all over you "

" I'm weak and she was hot ," gestured Andre ," it happened . I'm a guy . Felt bad for dumping her a couple days later but I was feeling bad and bugging over if somehow Tori might find out " He stared at his friends ," This doesn't get out of the Rv . I don't want Tori finding out about it ….just like she doesn't know about what we did to Stephen "

Stephen was been a boyfriend of Tori's who had been cheating on her with Carly Shay from the icarly web show in Seattle . After the girls online humiliation of the dude, later Andre had gathered the guys and along with Freddie Benson warned the douche bag in a more threatening manner about hurting her .

" Wow , just wow ," said Robbie ," though not really same as me turning down sex "

" I didn't love sherry ," added Andre ," it was just sex. Since its you, maybe you should have gone ahead with it with your girlfriend but maybe not ..I mean, Robbie, your seeing Cat . Doesn't that tell you something ?"

" It tells me I need to work harder on getting over her ," answered Robbie ," I'm a little confused lately about Cat but that's my problem. We're working close together for acting class and Cat gets into all those romance and its not me …."

" Cat's been flirting openly with you " pointed out Beck.

" Man speaks the truth ," stated Andre ," think you should dump the gank and just tell Cat you care about her . Pretty simple and I know she'd be thrilled …."

" So I can get excited about something happening then watch her fall for some football player from Burbank or some hot guy she met at the mall ? No, I wont put myself through that anymore ," declared Robbie , matter of fact ," we are friends . I don't expect anything more than that from her and ….I really think that Roxanne and I have a future as a couple "

" I think your not giving Cat enough credit for knowing her feelings " said Beck

" I'm not the one moping and pouring over pictures of jade " countered Robbie

" I don't mope ," argued a tense Beck ," and I am simply deciding what I need to do with all of these . These are memories ..my memories of me and Jade ..she might toss them out or burn them, but I don't want to do that .."

" Why don't you just tell Jade you still care about her and try again ?" asked Andre

" I don't know if I want that ," stated Beck," I want to date for a while . "

" And you, Robbie, if you just dump North Ridge and be honest with Cat , " went on a crazed Andre ," I can see something happening there is what I'm saying "

" I will not betray my girlfriend or risk hurting Cat " declared Robbie, firmly .

" You are both insane ," Andre clutched his head as if in pain ," this is simple. Why you both gotta act like a bunch of girls ? Your both making me wonky in the head ..wonky in the head ….."

" Pizza is here " announced Beck, going to the door .

" Thank God …" sighed Robbie ," then maybe you guys can give me some advice ..that isn't about Cat "

" I think we need to go do something manly ," said Andre in small voice ," I feel like we're acting like a bunch of daisies talking about our feelings and things "

Andre, Beck, and Robbie grew thoughtful then shared pained expressions .

" Paint ball war "


	14. Chapter 14

Looking cool everyday was kind of a pain and starting to get old .

Roxanne has insisted upon a six a.m. breakfast date which left him virtually no time to take the extra time to straighten his hair and he had thrown on a pair of jeans and a blue /white bowling shirt and called himself ready.

Rex had nearly gone off the deep end belittling him and Robbie wasn't in the frame of mind to listen to him so in the backpack he went , silent .

His girlfriend hadn't been happy with his hair and had let him know her thoughts on the matter . Including the suggestion of him getting it permantly straightened at her salon.

However, Roxanne had stopped her lecturing long enough to surprise him.

She had been thinking of him and bought him a present .

It was now a little after 7:30 as he made his way down the stairs of the school when he was greeted by Cat, who appeared as if she had been waiting for him.

" Hey Cat "

Cat lifted her arms for a hug and he found himself with a soft, sweet smelling petite girl in his arms. Not that he minded , he could get used to holding Cat .

She gave the best hugs ever.

" Robbie ," Cat removed her hands, gazing up at him, searching his eyes ," where are your glasses ? Did they break ? "

" I got contacts ," explained Robbie ," well, I didn't buy them . Roxanne bought them for me this morning as a present ..or would it be presents ?"

Cat frowned at him, puzzled. " OH my Gosh, your eyes are blue ! Why do you have blue eyes ..that isn't your eye color . I like your brown eyes ….."

Robbie blinked , trying to adjust the the prescription , the contacts irritating him .

" I know I have brown eyes but Rox thought the sapphire was better "

" You don't buy someone blue eyes, Robbie ," says an upset Cat, galled by his girlfriend's actions ," it's totally rude . She is supposed to be your girlfriend …I don't understand why she would buy you different color of eyes "

She peered at him, touching his brow, gently . " Can you even see ?"

" It's fine , Cat ," assured Robbie , his heart beating like crazy at her nearness . Her reaction was so unexpected he wasn't sure what to do ," I'm adjusting to the contacts…it's nothing . I'm just used to my glasses . "

Cat frowned ," Roxanne keeps trying to change who you are, Robbie "

" Naw, she isn't ," replied Robbie with a nonchalant shrug ," okay, maybe just little things but its not anything I haven't heard before from ..everyone here "

" Roxanne doesn't mean it as anything bad , she cares about me "

Cat pouted . " If she **Cared **about you, Robbie, she wouldn't have bought you blue eyes at all . You..don't need different eye color ….."

His heart soared against his chest and Robbie reached out , impulsively taking her hand into his, marveling once more how perfect her hand fit into his own .

" Cat, your sweet ," replied Robbie, feeling a new surge of confidence ," and if these contacts bug me , I'll take them out later and wear my glasses "

" You could do that now " pointed out Cat, swinging his hand, playfully .

" How about third period ," suggested Robbie ," and why don't I buy you an iced vanilla coffee before class ? I'll get one too ..I need more caffeine "

" Only if you share some chocolate chip cookies with me " flirted back Cat, happily .

" I would ….." Robbie beamed at her , squinting and idly wondered how Roxanne had known what kind of contacts to buy him.

" Goody ," says Cat, pulling him towards the Jet Brew stand ," come on '

She couldn't help but to feel happy .

Robbie did feel something too…he was holding her hand .

He made a move .

It was going to be a very good morning .

" Jade ," hissed Tori, who was peering against the doorframe watching Cat and Robbie's little interchange ," hey, Jade , since when has Cat started waiting for Robbie ?"

Jade took a drink of her coffee, stopped and looked at her sometimes friend . " I don't know …..since maybe last week "

" Wait, are they ..holding hands ?"

Tori glanced back, enjoying the cuteness of this new romance between their friends .

" Looks like Robbie is holding her hand " verified Tori with a wide smile .

" Cat looks over the moon …." commented Jade, because it was true .

Just then Andre and Beck came around the corner together , immediately spotting the girls . Both equally surprised that they looked to be …watching someone .

" Robbie likes when she's being flirty Cat ," shared Tori, recalling when he had tutored her for her Theatre tech exam and his various Cat standees ," I know it for a fact "

" TORI ! " bemoaned Andre , " now you've got Jade even spying with you "

Jade sent him a death stare that shut him up. " Shut up. I'm not spying with Tori …she just pointed out the spectacle that is Rob and Cat .."

" Andre , don't tease me ," Tori wrapped her arm around her boyfriends waist and gave him a squeeze ," I couldn't help it ! Jade, tell them ! We were spying on them for a good cause ….."

Beck lifted a dark brow at his ex-girlfriend . " What could that possibly be ?"

" Cat and Robbie are looking pretty obvious " stated Jade , easily.

Andre buried his face in Tori's hair . " Leave that crazy chizz be ," declared Andre in mock dramatics ," Robbie is crazy messed up as it is and we are not going to get involved in those two crazy …."

" I agree with Andre ," noted Beck," hey, is Robbie holding Cat's hand ?"

" Oh ….yea, he is and they are ," informed Jade ," it's not much ..for them but it's progress "

" Oh is this one of those exclusive meetings the rest of us lowly Hollywood arts students have absolutely no idea what you all ..discuss ?" questioned Kyra , coming around the corner and linking her arm through Beck's .

" Yes " answered Jade, snidely .

" Your not one of us so you should ..go away " finished Jade, unable to stop herself .

" Good morning, Jade ," Kyra sent her a saccharine smile ," enjoying that coffee ?"

" Always do …"

Beck frowned , confused by the conversation, and led Kyra to another corner before Jade decided to do something else to her .

" What was all that about ?" asked Beck, curiously ," Jade doesn't like being provoked , Kyra . You should probably just not talk with her …"

" Just making sure West was enjoying her coffee ," snipped Kyra with a smirk ," and I don't understand how you can defend her . You two aren't together anymore "

" Jade and I have history " stated Beck , as if it was the simplest thing in the world .

" I would rather you not have contact with your ex-girlfriend at all " told Kyra , pressing her lips to his in a quick kiss ," you gonna come watch me dance second period ?"

" Can't wait …." managed Beck, with a thin smile .

" Andre , you drove your car today ?" inquired Jade , who had been watching Beck suck face with the little dancer with disdain and hurt evident on her face .

" Yea , " answered Andre ," you wanna borrow it ?"

" No, I want you to open up the door so I can slam my face into it "

" I'd be glad to run you over with a bus, Jade " teased Tori with a glint in her eye.

" You'd have to have your license first, Tori " tossed back Jade , evenly .

" Come on, let's just get to class . I'm bored …." She moved past Beck and Kyra heading for acting class with Tori and Andre on her heels .

Beck said his goodbyes to Kyra and joined his friends, flopping down in a chair by Jade .

She ignored him and drank her coffee .

Cat and Robbie were already seated , talking and laughing together .

" Teenagers ," Sikowitz burst into the room , his clothing a mishmash of plaid and flowers with dark brown pants and a loose scarf ," ah, how are you all ? I don't really care to know because I can feel the ripe , heady pull of sexual tension radiating off of each and everyone of you in this room , like juicy berries "

He rubbed his hands together , gleefully ." So, to make good use of the buzz, we will be practicing clichés of the couples we often see portrayed in movies and on TV "

" You mean like the ganky cheerleader and the stud football player " said Jade , taking another drink of her coffee and frowning .

Her stomache lurched a bit but she ignored it .

I see you still have bitterness over the break up of Finn and Quinn," moved on Sikowitz," however , Glee couples aside, everyone stand up "

Everyone stood , awaiting further instruction, as their teacher was known for his random acting exercises. They had once spent a half hour pretending to be old people walking on broken glass …you never knew what was going on in the mans mind .

Robbie rubbed his eyes, as they suddenly felt really odd and itchy .

" Grab a partner and give me a protective embrace " called out Sikowitz ," as in your rescuing your beloved from a ceiling falling on her ..now "

Cat let out a little scream and Robbie pulled her closely in his arms, holding tight .

He covered her head with his hands ," I've got you, Cat . You're safe now "

She lifted her eyes , which held a softness towards him in them . " My hero "

Robbie colored and moved his hands down to wrap around her . " Really ?"

Cat played with the curls at his nape , feeling shy again . " Yes "

" Good, Cat, Robbie ," Sikowitz made his way around the room ," don't move or the rest of the ceiling might come down before you can tell her how you feel "

" Oh no ! " Cat gasped and clung even more tightly to Robbie .

" I wouldn't ever let anything happen to you …." declared Robbie , honestly .

" Passionate embrace " switched sikowitz ," Tori, Andre, no laughing "

" Sorry but he's making me laugh " chuckled Tori, who was being held and dramatically dipped like in the movies by her boyfriend .

" I thought the saving thing was for lil Red and Rob ," answered Andre , lifting Tori back in his arms ," the whole zany dip thing about as cliché as it comes , man. Before my Grandma lost her mind , I used to watch those old movies with her and all the suave dudes did the fancy dancing and swept the girl off of her feet "

He flashed his pearly white teeth in a charming smile . " I was sweeping Tori off of hers "

Tori held onto his neck . " He really did ..my feet were barely touching the ground "

" Very well ," said the teacher ," I'll give you two that one but Jade , Beck, show me some passion in an embrace right now ….."

" Fine " jade placed her coffee cup on the floor and faced her ex-boyfriend who's expression was unreadable . Perfect .

Without any warning , Beck grabbed her waist and pulled her against his chest .

" Don't pretend with me " Beck's voice was soft and undeniably sexy .

Jade brought her hands up to his chest and lifted her chin in an act of defiance .

" You don't want ..me " Her voice was even though she trembled . Her stomache lurched again as a wave of naucousness had her covering her mouth with her hand as she backed away from Beck ," I…I gotta go…puke "

" Jade " Beck watched as she sprinted out of the classroom to the bathroom .

" Good Gandhi , what is happening ? Jade's too mean to be sick " noted sikowitz

" Jade is never sick " confided Cat ," except for the time with the pooka fish "

" We should probably go check on her ," offered Tori ," make sure she is alright "

Beck grabbed her coffee off of the floor and her bag . " I'll do it "

He had this sudden urge to take care of her and this time he didn't question it .

Jade never ever got sick and when she did , it was bad .

Beck headed to the girls bathroom, with the intent of dragging Jade to the nurse and then home . He would examine what that meant later on.

" Robbie , sweet heavens , boy ," sikowitz turned and noticed the young mans eyes were swollen and puffy ," what's' wrong with your eyes ?'

" My eyes ," repeated Robbie, letting go of Cat to rub them ," I don't know … they feel weird . Must be the contacts….drat "

" Your eyes look horrible, Robbie " exclaimed Cat, covering her mouth with her hand ," your eyes are all poufy . They weren't like that a minute ago….."

" Dude, your eyes look gross " pointed out Andre ," you and Jade get into something the rest of us need to know about ?"

" Andre " scolded Cat ," don't be mean "

" It must be the contacts ," sighed Robbie , coming to the realization rather quickly ," I must be allergic to them. My eyes are sensitive and they have been bothering me ….I should go take them out "

" You need to see a doctor " declared Cat, firmly .

" It's not that big of a deal ," Robbie dismissed it ," it will bug me but I've been worse "

" I'm taking you to the doctor so you can get better , Robbie " Cat took his hand ," see, you shouldn't have even wore those silly contacts in the first place "

" It's just an allergic reaction " Robbie continued to argue ," I'm not sick "

" You can barely see and your eyes hurt ," declared a forceful Cat ," don't argue with me, Robbie . Sikowitz , will you write me and Robbie out of school today "

" Sure can " agreed the teacher , intrigued by this latest development .

" I just need to take my contacts out " Robbie tried again , only to have Cat shoot him a look that stated he was going with her . He gave in with a nod .

" I wouldn't mess with the girl, Rob ," commented Andre ," she means business "

" Your eyes do look really bad ," agreed Tori ," it isn't a bad idea at all . I'm sure the doctor can give you an ointment or medicine to clear the swelling right up "

" Fine " grumbled a reluctant Robbie ,but allowed Cat to drag him away .

Tori's phone blasted off with a text. " It's Beck ," read Tori ," Jade is still throwing up. He's taking her to his Rv so she can rest …."

" Why not a doctor ? " inquired Andre ," clearly the girl is sick "

Another text . " Jade hates doctors "

" She hates so many things ," remarked Andre ," don't know how I could forget that one "

" Tori, Andre ," implored Sikowitz ," either one of you planning on coming down with morning sickness or maybe some North Ridge fever to get out of my class next ?"

The couple exchanged frowns and met their favorite teachers gaze . " No "

" So, since half my class has come down with ailments ," declared Sikowitz ," you are all dismissed . Feel free to roam the halls, have fun , don't forget to leave a tip "

Tori shouldered her backpack. " Should we check on Jade first ?"

" Let me see, no," decided Andre , thoughtfully ," Jade isn't the most happy go lucky person when she isn't sick and her ex-boyfriend is trying to help. I think its for the best if we give them several hours before we check on them …"

" This is true " agreed Tori, leaning in for a kiss ," I'll send Cat a text from us about Robbie "

Jade couldn't seem to stop throwing up and felt weak all over .

The nurse hadn't been any help, suggesting that she must have the newest virus or flu bug that was going around . Never mind the fact that she never got sick.

Her immune system was a killer .

Beck kept suggesting food poisoning , much to her annoyance .

" No ," muttered Jade , weakly ," I haven't ate anything . I just had coffee .."

Coffee . A thought popped unbidden in Beck's mind but he dismissed it .

" Come on , I'm taking you home " Beck took her arm and led her to his car ," you are sick, jade , and you need to rest "

Jade leaned against his car , holding onto the door for support and cursing him .

" I don't need your help ," managed Jade , softly ," I'm a big girl . We're not a couple any longer so ..you don't have to take care of me "

" Get in the car, Jade , please " Beck opened the door and slid in, noting how pale her face was against the darkness of her hair and how miserable she looked .

His heart twisted for her and he went on instinct .

Beck's instinct was saying to take care of Jade and so that's what the plan was .

Making a face and muttering under her breath what might have been a swear , Jade slid into the passenger seat and rested her head against the seat . " Hate this "

" I know ," Beck reached over to place a hand comforting on her leg ," but you'll be alright . "

He resisted the urge to kiss her forehead and went back to watching the road .

Jade felt herself drifting off to sleep and was surprised when she opened her eyes to find herself dressed in an old flannel shirt lying down under the covers in Beck's bed .

In his RV .

" W..what am I doing here , Beck ? This isn't my house , its yours "

Beck put down the book he was reading . " The two times you were sick when we were together , you always got better a lot faster when you stayed with me "

" It's quiet here " jade clutched his shirt ," you changed my clothes ?"

He lifted a perfect brow , a half smile teasing the corner s of his mouth .

" It's not as if I haven't seen you without clothes on before, Jade "

" True but we were together ," Jade felt even more vulnerable ," there's no reason for you to play the caring boyfriend now . You….you shouldn't "

Beck moved to sit beside her and ran a hand through her hair. " How do you feel ?"

" Like I just threw up my guts a million times ," Jade wiped at the tear that ventured from her eye," could I have some water , please ?"

Beck chuckled ," Which you may have "

He handed her a cool glass of water which she accepted graciously . " Thanks "

" You didn't stop for a bagel or a breakfast burrito this morning ?" asked Beck

" I had my coffee ," stated Jade," I didn't eat breakfast . I don't see how coffee is going to make me puke up my guts …I have gallons of it everyday . I should be immune "

Beck grew tight lip , playing over how interested Kyra had been in Jade drinking her coffee this morning, and wondered if she had somehow done something to it .

To get back at Jade for dying her hair green.

It was crazy but there was no way coffee would have done this to Jade .

" I'll figure it out,' replied Beck , changing the subject ," oh, this should make you feel better . I guess Robbie's eyes blew up red and swollen after you left ..allergic reaction to his contacts . Cat took him to the doctors ….."

Jade managed a wan smile. " Is he alright ?"

" According to Cat's text , he will be fine ," explained Beck, " she's taking care of Robbie "

Jade lifted her head and managed a real smile . " My phone will be blowing up tonight then ," smirked Jade," Cat wont be able to resist telling me …everything "

" You are a good friend " said Beck, in an awed voice ," I forgot that about you "

Jade's head fell back on the pillow . " Shut up "

" Just ignore me and rest, Jade ," ordered Beck ," you'll feel better "

" Don't tell me what to do….." muttered Jade , turning away from him ," I miss you "

Her voice was barely audible but Beck had heard her . " Me too "

Musing and having an inner debate with himself, Beck studied her , once again struck by how beautiful she was and how peaceful and right she looked sleeping in his bed .

He didn't want to examine in too closely but God, he missed her in his life .

But he didn't know if he was ready to take her back…not yet .

" Robbie , just don't be such a baby and lie down on your bed " ordered Cat, ' the antihistamine ought to be kicking in soon . You should be comfy "

Robbie couldn't help but think how cute she looked when she was being bossy .

" Cat, I'm not sick ," insisted Robbie for the tenth time that afternoon ," you heard what the doctor said. No more contacts for me and the swelling ought to go down soon "

" ROBBIE " wailed Cat, pouting at him .

" Oh alright but I'm sitting up " agreed Robbie , not wanting to hurt her feelings ," you know you didn't have to go to all this trouble , Cat . I was the moron who brought the allergies on all by myself ….I was stupid "

Cat sat on the bed next to him." You were being silly but I'm just happy you can see again "

" Guess I'll always be the nerd with the glasses " laughed Robbie, feeling foolish .

Cat placed her hand over his . " I happen to like nerds with glasses "

Robbie stared at her, wanting so desperately to believe what she said and yet afraid he was the one being stupid again . " Well, I learned my lesson , the hard way "

" I wish you wouldn't put yourself down all of the time, Robbie " says Cat , softly .

" I'm having a pity party for myself ," joked Robbie ," haha funny "

" It's not and I was frightened that you couldn't see " admitted Cat in a small voice ," I know how sensitive and allergic you are too lots of things "

" I know …" Robbie sat up ," but I promise I will wear my glasses from now on "

" I'll hold you to it " says Cat , leaning over to press a barely there kiss to his eyelids .

Robbie froze , her touch as soft as butterfly wings . . " Cat "

" To make you feel better …" murmured Cat , pressing another kiss above his other lid .

" Oh..it's , uh, working " managed Robbie , taking her hand into his ," Cat ?"

She moved closer and brushed her lips across his in the merest of kisses, so light he might have imagined it , if he hadn't felt it.

" Don't you….feel this …between us , Robbie?"

Robbie gulped, not believing his ears , as he sat up and slid closer to stare into the bottomless depths of brown eyes that took him under . " Yes "

Just then the shrill sound of his pear phone jostled them from the moment .

" It's Roxanne ' Robbie was apologetic ," I have to take this "

Cat folded her arms across her chest , her mouth set in an angry line .

" Robbie , we were having an important talk " reminded Cat , firmly .

" I know but I have to talk to my ..girlfriend " Robbie felt as if he was pouring something awful on her because her expression was horrifying ," Roxanne , hey there "

" Your friend sent me a text saying you had puffy eyes and were going to see a doctor ," replied an annoyed Roxanne ," would you care to explain, Robert ?"

" You shouldn't worry about me or anything , I , it seems I had a bad allergic reaction to the contacts you bought me ," explained Robbie ," cant wear them anymore . My eyes all red and pretty swollen …but its not anything that a antihistamine wont fix "

" You look disgusting then …" figured Roxanne, making a face .

" I wouldn't say I look disgusting ,' answered Robbie ," my eyes are just puffy "

" You do not look disgusting " hissed a put upon Cat, making an angry face.

That girlfriend of his didn't deserve a special guy like Robbie Shapiro . . What kind of girl would call the guy she liked disgusting ? It was just so really mean and cruel .

" Who is that with you ? " asked Roxanne ," and who sent the text to me "

" It's Cat " explained Robbie ," and she sent texts to everyone on my phone . "

" Cat ," repeated a annoyed Roxanne ," why aren't I surprised ? Oh right , because you talk about her ..a lot . So, Robert, you just need to let me know what kind of contacts you can wear that wont make you look nasty and I will get you new ones "

" I think I just better stick with my glasses …"

" Glasses ," muttered Roxanne ,on a heavy sigh ," that isn't the look I want in my boyfriend . Never mind , you just get all normal again before I come see you..and I will come up with something else to surprise you with .."

" Your going to come visit me ?' asked a hopeful Robbie as Cat frowned .

" Once you don't have disgusting eyes ," told Roxanne ," I wouldn't want to take a chance of being around your allergies . Take care now and I will check in later "

" Bye , Roxie ,' Robbie hung up the phone ," thanks for calling "

He hung up his cell and placed it on top of the dresser and turned to face Cat .

" Let me guess , your girlfriend cant be bothered to come make sure your okay , Robbie "

" Rox was concerned ," fudged Robbie ," but she's a busy girl , Cat "

" Busy being a typical North Ridge girl is more like it " remarked Cat, feeling mean .

She couldn't believe Robbie had nothing to say ….she had just kissed him !

It hadn't even been two seconds ago.

" I don't believe you said that "

" So..so you're just going to ….ignore what's happening with you and me ?" asked Cat

Robbie closed his eyes, opened them, and knew he wasn't dreaming .

This was real.

Cat was really asking him ….but did her kisses mean anything ?

God, he wanted to believe she was true but a part of him was terrified it was just another phase of hers . He was the temporary guy until someone cool and better came along for her . He wasn't her type of guy . Robbie knew this deep down , he wasn't good enough for Cat Valentine and why allow himself to get sucked back into her again ?

" No,no, " Robbie put some distance between them ," no, Cat , but we've been working closely together on this romance assignments . That's what is between us …."

" ArGH, Robbie , that isn't it at all ! Or do you really love Roxanne ? Is that why you wont talk to me about us ? "

" I don't want to betray Roxie by misunderstanding these ..feelings between us , Cat "

Cat bit her lip . " Fine , whatever , you say, Robbie . Don't forget to take your medicine in another two hours and goodbye ….."

She turned and ran out of his room and the house , slamming the door shut, loudly .

" Damn " swore Robbie , calling himself every type of loser he could think of .

He had wanted to ignore the phone call and close the distance between them and just show Cat how much he cared but he couldn't . Just flirting with her was a betrayal of everything he believed in and even though he didn't feel any closer to being in love with Roxanne , they were together . He owed her respect and honesty .

Though telling her about his mixed up feelings for another girl might not win him any prizes and maybe get him a broken nose .

Just then his computer went off , alerting him it was time for his skype with his fellow Galaxy Wars pal Freddie Benson , who he had met when the icarly gang had dropped by Andre's party a couple years back to find the cheater Stephen Carson who had been dating Carly Shay and Tori at the same time , different cities .

They had hit it off when they had assisted Andre and Beck with the beating up of the wazbag and discovered they were both tech nerds and huge Galaxy wars fans.

Though if Robbie were to be honest, Freddie was way more tech genius than he was.

" Shapiro, you just going to sit there staring at me or we gonna play some Galaxy wars "

" Sorry, pre-occupied , I guess ," answered Robbie ," did you get my email ?"

Freddie sat back with a chuckle . " That your dating Roxanne , the daughter of Satan, and Gibby's cousin. Sure did " He paused for affect ," Gibby says good luck, sucker , because your going to need it dating her "

" Why would he say that ? " asked Robbie , putting on his glasses again .

" The girl is hot but she's evil ," explained Freddie ," not Sam level evil but really sneaky evil ….she is actually the black sheep of Gibby's family "

" I just don't understand that " admitted a baffled Robbie , his heart and mind full of Cat .

Maybe he shouldn't have been such a coward and found out what she meant about her and him being an us .

Still it had felt so awkward with Cat looking all soft and sweet by him and his hot girlfriend on the phone …made him feel bad on several levels .

Like a bad person and like a bad dude .

" How are you holding up ?" asked Robbie , referring to the fact that Sam had just recently dumped Freddie . His friend hadn't really said much on the subject .

" I'm fine ," assured Freddie , matter of fact ," I've moved on from it "

He wasn't going to dwell on what had happened between himself and Sam Puckett .

He was on here so he and Robbie could kick some serious Galaxy war butt .

" Let's just play the game ," decided Robbie ," maybe it will take my mind off of everything …"

Working in unison and as a team, the only sounds that could be heard were the directions and plaintive cries of taking down the enemy . Only a half hour into the game, Robbie couldn't focus and his game was suffering greatly from it and after Freddie had nearly gotten blown up, his friend ended the game and called his friend out on it .

" Robbie, just stop," stated Freddie ," did you even notice I ended the game or were you too busy trying to get us killed ?"

" Sorry," Robbie was chagrined as he put the controller down on his table ," guess my heart isn't in the game . I'm ….distracted a bit …."

" You're off your game ," pointed out Freddie , matter of fact ," what's going on with you ? "

" Girl troubles "

" Didn't I warn you that dating any relative of Gibby's is nothing but trouble "

" It's not just about Roxanne ," Robbie tried to explain it, frustration evident in every word ," she is really hot . I still cant believe that she is my girlfriend …"

" You probably shouldn't trust her then …." commented Freddie , dryly .

" Being with Roxie ,it isn't what I thought it would be ," went on a confused Robbie ," I thought I should ..would feel more but I don't . Then there is Cat …."

Now Robbie had his friends full attention . " What about you and Cat ?"

" I still have all of these feelings for Cat ," confessed Robbie , almost guiltily ," we've been getting closer lately . I think…sometimes the way she acts …I think she feels something for me too …or not "

He paused, thoughtful. " I don't know anymore . I'm really confused "

Freddie took it all in and tried to ignore the swift ache in how own heart , a sudden reminder of Sam. He took a breath, let it out, and considered how he could be of help to his friend . After all, it was an all too familiar situation .

He'd been involved briefly with Carly for a spell and then more recently with Sam.

Who he did not want to think too deeply about at this moment .

This wasn't about him but about Robbie .

" Take it from me, Rob, nothing good ever comes from being involved with your friends ," stated Freddie, firmly and with a bit of cynicism ," I would take stock in your relationship with Roxanne and work on that. Be with her and stop putting Cat in the equation in the first place …..that should take care of your doubts "

" Maybe "

" Robbie , I forgot my purse ," Cat swept back in the room, grabbing her purse off of the table then noticed that he was video chatting ," you cant be resting your eyes if your talking . "

Robbie couldn't resist a grin . " I thought you were mad at me ..again "

She made a face . " Maybe a little ," says Cat ," and I still want us to talk , Robbie . I don't understand why you don't want to….Oh hey Freddie "

She waved at the screen ." Where is Carly ? Sam ? Gibby ? Oh, and Spencer ? I don't see them there with you …."

Freddie couldn't help but smile at her energy . " Hi Cat ," he greeted ," go easy on Robbie , we were just playing some Galaxy wars . I don't know where the girls are …maybe next door . "

" Well, tell them that I said hi ," Cat pressed a quick kiss across Robbie's cheek ," don't forget to put the cream on your eyes in a bit so they don't stay red , please "

" Yuperooni, I will ," replied Robbie, " I promise "

" I'll call you later " says Cat , sweetly ," bye, Freddie . It was good to see you "

" Bye , Cat "

" Cat " called out Robbie as she turned her head back to look at him, " thank you "

Her smile was bright . " Your welcome, Robbie "

Then she was gone , leaving Robbie back to square one . " Oooooh Cat …."

Freddie rubbed his chin, thoughtfully . " Your right . Now I'm confused for you "

" Thanks a lot , Benson ," Robbie fell back on his bed," I don't know what to do ! "


	15. Chapter 15

Things were back to normal at Hollywood Arts or as what passed for normal at the performing arts school the following day.

Jade had recovered from her bout of sickness , much to her friends relief , and her usual twisted, bitter self . The swelling and redness due to Robbie's allergic reaction to the contacts had gone down considerably and he was fine and back to his glasses .

Both were back at school and into the thick of every day life with their friends .

Jade seemed to be dancing around Beck since he had taken care of her .

It was weird . There was defiantly weirdness between them now .

On his part, Beck couldn't get over the instant replay going on in his head of Kyra asking Jade about her coffee. He knew it was a harmless question but it irked at him.

Though they had barely dated , he felt like Kyra was a nice girl .

Shallow on some things but he never really picked up the mean vibe from her which was a plus. It was one of the reasons he had asked the dancer out in the first place.

Kyra wasn't anything remotely like Jade West .

He had suggested to Andre that he didn't think it was a fluke that Jade had gotten sick.

Andre told him he was crazy and watching too much CSI drama .

Rather than jump to the next step( which was lame) but when Beck had been watching Jade sleep , he had contemplated asking Robbie if he knew how to test her coffee .

Which was really overreacting for him. It was ridiculous and absurd .

Which was why he had skipped out on his third period Shakespeare class and heading towards the dance studio to find Kyra .

He wouldn't know the truth if he didn't ask her so that was what he was going to do.

When did he become irrational about Jade ?

He just wasn't an irrational type of guy . Beck was as laid back as they came .

It was something he prided himself on but he was haunted by painful images of what might have been in Jade's coffee, which somehow made it ten times worse .

Thank God Jade was alright and back to yelling and insulting him .

Anything was better than watching how pale she had gotten or how soft she had looked in his old shirt . Her blue-green eyes shimmering with tears hit him in the gut .

Class was just letting out so he waited , hung back, allowing the dancers to move past him, and spotted Kyra across the room talking to Trina .

Damn .

Couldn't escape Trina , just his luck. Tori's older sister had developed a bit of crush on him recently and the girl could be gratingly annoying most of the time as it was .

" Kyra ," Beck approached her , hands stuffed casually in his pockets ," hey "

" this is a surprise . I cant believe you came to see me ! I thought you had Shakespeare class this hour …"

" I skipped "

Trina gazed at the dark haired hottie with the most perfect head of hair ever to grace a mans head . Excluding Brad Pitt and George Clooney , of course , but they were stars .

" Hi Beck …." sighed Trina , giving him a little wave .

" Trina "

" So you and Kyra , eh ," said Trina in a sing song voice ," you know we should have gone out when I was available . Course I am dating Leo now but if there is a possibility of you and me ..I would so dump him for you "

" No " stated Beck," uh, Trina , could you go away so I could talk to Kyra "

Trina sighed , " Whatever . My sisters friends are so rude "

Once she was gone, the dancer leaned in to kiss Beck and was surprised when he averted .

Kyra frowned ," Did I do something wrong ?"

" I don't know ," queried Beck ," that's what I wanted to talk to you about "

He paused , unsure about how to go about this but going ahead with it anyway .

" I was hoping you could tell me …..," continued Beck," Sure you heard about Jade getting really sick yesterday …after her morning coffee "

Kyra chuckled ," Sad that its news when the most evil girl at school gets ill "

" Jade isn't evil ," corrected Beck ," so I got to thinking cause since I have known her , she hardly ever just gets sick. Then I remembered how you kept wanting to know how her coffee was yesterday, Kyra "

She gave him a coy smile. " Just trying to kill Jade with kindness "

" So, you didn't put ..anything in her coffee ?"

Kyra bit her lip and appraised him. " I ..might have but the grunge deserved it and you certainly weren't going to do anything about her ruining my hair "

" Cat and Tori helped you wash it out " responded Beck, " and I talked to Jade "

She scoffed at him ," Jade is a bitch . She humiliated me and unlike most of the girls in this school I wasn't going to sit by and let her get away with it …so, yea , I put a tiny bit of ipecac in her morning coffee . I was so happy she takes it black …."

Kyra touched his forearm. " I thought you would appreciate that I am a strong woman "

Beck drew back, running a hand through his hair and taking in her admission .

" Just a drop ," repeated Beck, " she was so sick ! You could have seriously hurt her if you had gotten carried away with it ..and put in more . Jade might have wound up at the hospital instead ….."

" I cannot believe you," Kyra paced in front of him, angrily ," you went out with that psychotic bitch for three years but your pissed at me because I gave her a dose of her own medicine ?"

" I cannot believe you would resort to hurting her ," replied Beck ," she isn't a threat . "

" I felt threatened and you don't help ," spat out the dancer ,' hanging out with her "

" I told you that Jade and I have a history together " said a frustrated Beck

" That is lame ," stated Kyra ," maybe you ought to figure out why that is "

" I think its best that we just end this now ," decided Beck ," I cant be with someone who would try to actually hurt my friends "

" Oh my God ," realized Kyra ," you aren't over her ! This hasn't a damn thing to do with me . You are still in love with Jade West "

Beck couldn't respond , didn't want to over think her accusation when he was still processing everything Jade as it was , so he simply walked away .

The sun was beating down on the tables at the Asphalt Café as some of the dancers took to the pavement to try out some new moves, others milled about gossiping and eating lunch and at their usual table, Tori found herself with Jade and Cat .

Andre and Robbie were still in line at the Grub Truck and she hadn't seen Beck.

Both girls were unusually quiet which was driving the girl nuts .

" So, Jade ," approached Tori ," Beck took care of you last night …when you were sick "

Jade lifted her eyes and gave her a pointed stare . " He did ," acknowledged Jade , picking at her burrito ," I didn't ask him to. Okay ? Don't make anything of it …I mean it, Tori . It's just one of those Beck things that he does …it meant nothing "

Though her chest still ached with his admission that he too missed her but she didn't want to make anything more into it. She was out of it and he was being nice .

" I would of thought it meant ..something ," hedged Tori ,' maybe just a little bit of ..something . You aren't the tiniest bit hopeful, Jade ? Cause if that had been me, I would be …."

" Clearly I'm not you," stated Jade with hesitation," I ..I don't know ….Okay so just shut up about the whole thing "

" He was really worried about you , Jade " contributed Cat , softly .

Tori fixed her with a knowing look . " I don't know how you would know that , Cat ," teased Tori ," you were seriously freaking out over Robbie …"

Cat toyed with a strand of her red hair , twisting it around her finger . " I cant help it ! Robbie's eyes got so pouffy so fast ! He acted like it wasn't a big deal that he was having trouble seeing …..I was worried about him "

Tori and Jade exchanged knowing grins at their friends obvious crush .

" You like Robbie " stated Jade , not beating around the bush at all.

Cat blushed but didn't even consider denying it . She couldn't ..not anymore .

" Yes "

Before she could elaborate , a text message came through and she glanced to see who it was from.

" Daren't , I wish Daniel would get the point and stop texting me "

" Still ? " asked Tori ," he usually isn't that persistent or he wasn't "

Cat ignored the text again . " I don't want to talk to him ," says Cat ," I don't even care what the text says ..I haven't been opening them . He ought to get the picture by now "

" Cat ," cut in Jade ," what's the story with you and Robbie ?"

Cat considered .telling them everything because she needed to confide in her friends but not out in the public like this . Where everyone could overhear and it get back to Robbie.

" Tori, can Jade and I come over to your house tonight ? "

" What , Cat ? No ..No ..I don't want to hang out with Tori " protested jade , only half-heartedly .

" Sure," agreed Tori ," sooo, you and Robbie ?"

Cat leaned in as if to whisper . " It's complicated ," explained Cat ," I promise I will tell you about it tonight but there is one part that isn't all so complicated that I can tell you. "

Both girls leaned forward, eagerly awaiting her news . " Cat "

" I want to be with Robbie " stated Cat , saying it out loud and knowing it was true .

" Ooooooh," beamed Tori ," I knew it ! That is so romantic and …good "

" You cant blab to Robbie ,Tori ," insisted Cat, quietly ," its really complicated "

" you have my word "

Meanwhile Andre and Robbie were waiting for their lunch and shooting the bull .

" You hear about Beck and Kyra ?" brought up Andre , conversationally .

" That he dumped her ," picked up Robbie ," it was all over the Slap earlier . "

" His life is so hard ," mused Andre ," wonder what pretty girl he will go for next ?"

" Hard to say with Beck ," commented Robbie ," no shortage of the ladies for him "

Andre fixed him with a stare . " So, since we're away from the girls ," the musician plowed ahead ," did Cat take real good care of you ? She play nurse , like she plays pirates …." He chuckled for his own amusement .

" Cat was sweet , bossy, and adorable taking care of me ," confessed Robbie , a smile spreading across his face ," I swear , Cat is the sweetest , kindest woman to exist "

" Lil Red is sweet " agreed Andre , who considered Cat to be like a sister to him ," but then I imagine your girlfriend was pretty worried about you too "

" I couldn't really say ," admitted Robbie , " she did call to check up on me after Cat texted her . Roxie isn't as open as Cat is ..so I don't really know when she worries about me or not . Not that I am saying she is uncaring ..that's not it at all "

" Something happen between you and Cat , Robbie , that you wanna share ?"

Robbie paused, not sure if he was ready to confide in Andre about his feelings and the kiss between him and Cat . He was still processing himself .

" No, nothing ," dismissed Robbie , good naturally ," I think Tori is rubbing off on you "

" Shut up, Robbie ' said Andre , not unkindly .

They collected their lunch and joined the girls at the table , where Trina had joined them and was giving them the play by play of the Beck and kyra break up.

" So, I have never seen Beck angry before but I was standing right outside the door listening ," explained the older Vega sister ," Kyra really set him off . I cant be sure but I am almost ninety percent sure Beck cheated on her …."

" Trina , you shouldn't have been listening in the first place ! " said Tori , outraged .

" You have no room to talk, Tori ," Trina went on as if she hadn't been interrupted ," I had considered making a play for him after they were through but then I kept hearing Jade's name brought up but I don't know if it was from Beck or not "

Jade lifted her head and glared at her . " What ? " Then in a quieter tone ," Must have been the grunge cause Beck doesn't cheat "

" Whatever ," Trina wagged a perfectly manicured nail towards her ," so if Beck is heartbroken , I fully intend to give him mine instead "

" No one likes you " reiterated Jade , absorbing the news of the break up.

That was fast .

Sinjin had been prancing around the café , overheard some of the exchange and poked his head as close to Trina as he could get . " Trina , I can offer you my services "

' Eeew , no ," Trina stood up," get away from me, Sinjin "

Not to be deterred that easily, Sinjin sent a pleading look at the dark haired beauty across the table . " Jade , my love, I am still here waiting for you "

Jade took a drink of her coffee ." No . Go away "

" Your going to give him a complex " noted Robbie as Sinjin scampered over to Festus truck , trailing after Trina like a lost puppy dog .

" Sinjin will get over it " noted Jade , taking another drink of her coffee .

Cat touched the side of Robbie's eye. " Your eye looks so much better, Robbie "

He smiled, warmly, and reached to pull her hand away but she held onto his instead .

" Just an allergic reaction, Cat ," said Robbie , gently ," you know what the doctor said but it does look better. I don't look so..hideous "

She smiled into his eyes . " Your .handsome , Robbie , not hideous "

Robbie colored at her compliment . " Your sweet but we're still not watching Titanic "

Cat scooted closer to him. " I thought ..maybe we could talk about what we started to ..last night , Robbie "

" I don't think it's a good idea ," stated Robbie , following through with Freddie's advice ," we should ..just let things ..be "

Cat frowned , hurt in her tone . " I don't want to, Robbie "

Andre, Tori, and Jade exchanged puzzled looks as they blatantly listened to their friends .

Clearly something more had gone on than what either had let on about , if Cat and Robbie's conversation was any indication .

" Maybe we should ..leave " offered Tori ," this sounds private "

" I'm not going anywhere …." declared Jade, matter of fact .

Robbie faced his friends and removed Cat's hand from his own, missing the hurt flash across her face and how she turned her face away from him .

" No one needs to go anywhere , Tori ," corrected Robbie ," Cat and I were just ..disagreeing over something . It's ..nothing though .."

A shocked oh appeared on Cat's face and she felt as if he had punched her in the face.

" Nothing ? Robbie , how can you say that ? It is too …its a lot of something ! " Hurt and outraged Cat grabbed her purse and ran back into the school .

" Cat ! " called Robbie, feeling like pond scum for hurting her feelings .

" You gonna go after her ? You made her cry, Rob " accused a forceful Jade .

" Uh, no, Cat isn't going to want to see me ," decided Robbie ," I ..this is between me and Cat so if you guys could stay out of it that would be cool "

" Stay out of ..what ?' asked an insulted Andre ," this big , wonking , chizzin mess that just exploded in your face …"

" We're your friends and we aren't staying out of whatever this is " added Tori ," I am going to see if I can find Cat . Robbie, you should feel ashamed of yourself ! "

" I do …believe me, I do " Robbie hung his head, wishing he hadn't said what he did but it was done now . Focus on your girlfriend . Roxanne makes you happy .

Roxanne is my girlfriend who I care about and who wants me .

Tori gave Andre a quick kiss, glared at Robbie, and shot off to find Cat .

Just then Beck joined them , his eyes locking briefly with Jade's , throwing him off balance but he recovered , quickly . " Hey , guys , did I miss something ?"

" No ," Robbie stood," I'm calling my girlfriend ..in private "

He walked away from them , Andre shrugged , and Beck took a seat on the other side of Jade .

Tension resonated between them , making Andre uncomfortable , but he was cool .

He wanted to eat his tamale and he would .

" Robbie and Cat ? "

" Have no clue ," answered Jade, non-plussed ," figure something went on with them . Cat just put the moves on Rob and he turned her down flat ..wasn't pretty "

" You didn't beat him up " joked Beck, with forced lightness .

" Not until I have more details from Cat ," explained Jade ," heard about you and the grunge ..your , uh, little girlfriend …..so, guess ..sorry "

She nearly choked on the apology but Beck had been so kind and good taking care of her, Jade figured she owed it to him. She would ..be nice .

Beck searched her face, looking for the malice and the insincerity but it wasn't there .

" Thanks but it's cool ," Beck shrugged it off ," Kyra wasn't for me "

" OH "

" I feel like I should say something her e," Andre started but Jade sent him a warning look," but I think its for the best that I don't ..so I wont "

" Robert , this is my lunch ," bemoaned an aggravated Roxanne ," your interrupting it. What exactly is it that you want to talk to me about ? This is my social hour ….."

" I'm sorry, Roxanne , but I wanted to ask you if you would ," Robbie hesitated then reconsidered ," I want you to meet my Mammaw . I have to help her figure out the new fancy coffee maker my aunt bought her tonight and I want you to go with me "

Roxanne winced . " Your grandmother "

" She drives me insane but she's my Mammaw ," replied Robbie , pushing it more ," and you're my girlfriend . We wont stay too long and I'll buy you supper after …."

" You'll take me to the new Italian restaurant , Robert ? " asked Roxanne , pouting .

" If that is what you will like then sure ," agreed Robbie ," this is important to me "

" Then I will be oh just thrilled to meet your grandmother " said a cloying Roxanne ," and we can talk about us having a little party with your friends as well "

" Sure , " agreed Robbie ," I know just the thing . So, I ..I miss you "

He thought he missed her ..he should miss his gorgeous girlfriend . He wasn't used to having to miss anyone ….but he would get used to it .

He was so awkward and out of his element with women .

Briefly , he wondered if Tori had found Cat then shook his head as if to be rid of that thought .

God, he had been such an ass to Cat and she had been nothing but sweet .

Argh !

" Robert, you are wasting my time ," repeated Roxanne ," you can pick me up around five . Don't be late and please, straighten your hair "

" I will ," Robbie hung up the phone , " bye, Roxie "

He hoped his super critical grandmother loved Roxanne , which she was bound too.

Roxanne was classy and perfect .

Then why did he feel as if he was betraying Cat ?

" Cat , I know your in there ," Tori leaned against the outside of the janitors closet ," come on, I can hear you crying . Let me in so we can talk ….pl-ease "

Cat lifted her head, wiping the tears with the sleeve of her cardigan, and sniffling .

" Go away, Tori ," cried Cat , softly ," I just need to cry ..by myself "

" Awww Cat , come on ," Tori turned the doorknob but still locked ," I know your sad . It will make you feel better if you talk about it with me …..I promise "

Cat smoothed her lips and felt the sting of Robbie's denial and rejection all over again .

She felt just awful .

" I will tell you …everything after school ," says Cat ," right now I am sad and I want to cry all by myself . " She twisted her hands together , worriedly ," Unless ..is ..did you maybe bring Robbie with you ?"

" Robbie didn't come with me, Cat "

" I don't understand him ..sometimes ," murmured Cat, more to herself ," I thought …maybe he would "

" Would you feel better if I found Robbie ," brought up Tori ," I can text Andre and have him bring Robbie here so you can talk to him "

" No oooooo! Don't ..tell Andre to get Robbie " protested Cat , " I am fine "

" Cat , you are not fine ," reminded a gentle Tori ," your crying in a closet "

" Jade does it all the time "

Tori rested her head against the door , contemplating pulling a Jade and hitting her head against it . Cat was being impossible and Tori just didn't get it at all .

" You are not Jade ," sang out Tori ," please come out, Cat "

Just then Robbie noticed Tori and made a beeline for her . " Tori, why are you talking to the door ?"

Tori shot him a rude look. " I'm not , Cat is in there, and she wont unlock the door ! This is your fault, Robbie , so you need to talk to the girl "

Robbie closed his eyes and could her her faint crying and felt his stomache drop to his feet . He was the most horrible person on the planet .

He gestured for Tori to move aside and pressed himself against the door .

" Cat ," Robbie's voice was soft ," sweetie , I'm a big jerk . I am so sorry I said what I did ….you know I hate hurting your feelings . "

Inside the closet, Cat stood and pressed herself against the door, her palm touching where she imagined his own hand was . " Robbie "

He had called her 'sweetie ' and it made her heart twitter back and forth .

If there had been blue birds singing , Cat was sure she would have heard them .

" I am so sorry, Cat ," Robbie was sincere ," you have to believe me . "

Cat opened the door and lifted her eyes to his . Warmth and caring radiated from him to her and she lowered her lashes to hide her own feelings from him .

" We've always been able to talk, Robbie ," says Cat ," you and I have ..ever since I can remember . I don't understand why you would rather run away than talk about …us "

" there isn't an us ," declared Robbie , carefully ," the only us is between me and Roxanne . I am sorry if that hurts your feelings …..but there it is "

" You are a terrible liar, Robbie Shapiro " accused Cat, running away from him.

Robbie felt like crying .

Why him and why now ? He just didn't understand why the universe hated his guts.

Tori placed a hand on his shoulder . " Good job , Robbie . Whatever it is that is going on with her and you, you just made it worse "

" I know, Tori, I know "

" I don't want to be here ," declared Jade , plopping down on the couch in the Vega home as Tori and Cat walked into the kitchen ," I have better things to do than be here …"

Tori poured lemonade and peered into the living room . " Then leave …"

" No, Cat wants me here so I am staying but this had better be good " stated Jade

Cat heaved a mournful sigh , sat down on the other couch, folding her legs under her .

" I'm sorry I couldn't talk about it at school ," expressed Cat ," it's hard enough as it is "

Tori sat down next to her . " Well, its just us so whenever your ready to talk, Cat "

" I guess by now you guys have already noticed that there are ..feelings between me and Robbie ," brought up Cat , having given it much thought ," I care about Robbie but I think the reason I made a big mess of it is because of …me rejecting him so much .before "

She twisted her hair, nervously. " I rejected him so much that now Robbie isn't sure he wants to be with me ..so, its all my fault that its complicated "

Jade stared incredulously at her friend . " How is it your fault that Robbie is an idiot ? "

" No, he isn't ! Robbie has always liked me but I didn't like him that way..least I didn't then "

" Again, Robbie being an idiot is not your fault, Cat " repeated an annoyed Jade

Tori shot her a reproachful look . " Jade, your not helping "

Cat hung her head and considered how to make her friends understand . " You guys know all the times that Robbie would ask me out and I would say no ?"

" Pretty sure we do ," smiled Tori, encouraging her to continue ," you weren't interested in dating Robbie at the time . Just like I might have not considered dating Andre back then …things change "

" It wasn't because Robbie is a nerd ," went on Cat ," I love nerds and I have always thought that Robbie was cute . I never told anyone cause you guys liked to tell him all the reasons why girls wouldn't go for him and well, I was kind of …really shallow for a while "

She bit her lip." I'm not proud of it and I ..I'm not that way now "

" You were dating hot guys " jade tried to speed up the conversation ," random hot guys "

" I'm a flirt ," admitted a guilty Cat ," I cant help it . I like when the guy is cute and into me and kind but I don't think I can read them very well…..most of the guys I dated were not like they seemed "

Jade groaned in dismay and buried her head in the pillow . " Gah ! We talked about the assholes and wazbags already, Cat ! Don't make me go through it again ! "

" Tori doesn't know …."

" That is right and she would like to " remarked Tori with a smirk at jade .

" I really , really liked Daniel ," started Cat ," I thought I even loved him at one time . Before he and Tori, you know , kissed and he told me he kissed back so I couldn't be with him. That was the longest relationship I have ever had …."

" I still feel really horrible about that, Cat " said Tori ,chagrined .

" I forgave you and its done with for a long time now " says Cat , playing with the edge of her skirt ," and I really wanted to go to the prome . I was afraid that I wouldn't get asked …so when I met Tug at the store and he asked , I was happy "

Jade groaned and threw the pillow across the room. " The dude was a skunk bag who tried to get you to sleep with him after the stupid prom was over "

" Prome " corrected Tori of her theme ," wait, I didn't know about this "

" I didn't go around telling everyone , just Jade ," muttered an embarrassed Cat ," you know I would have gone with Robbie if I had known he was going to ask me first . He was so angry and I hurt his feelings …he thought I lied about having a date so I wouldn't have to go with him "

" He was really down during prome ," Tori patted her friends hand ," but you two got through that. I don't understand why you think everything with Robbie is suddenly all your fault, Cat . You cant help it if all you felt was friendship for him until now …"

" Because I flirt with Robbie a lot so he had to think I liked him that way ," explained Cat ," and I think deep down I really did . Except I was afraid to admit it because of what people might say ….the freak likes the geek and stuff like that "

" Your not a freak, Cat " contributed Jade , being honest as she could see how torn and baffled Cat was over her situation with Robbie .

" I never told anyone this ," murmured Cat , her voice so soft they had to lean in to hear her ," but remember when Robbie had his crush on Trina ? I was really ….annoyed with him bugging over that stupid kiss "

She bit her lip," I think I might have been a little ..jealous "

" Cat ," said Tori, carefully ," I think its really good that you have all of these deep feelings for Robbie . I agree with Jade though ….you turning him down flat was in the past . It isn't your fault that he is acting like a jerk….he has never been very good with girls or dating …"

" You've been trying to talk to him about you and him ?" asked Jade , putting it together .

Cat nodded , morosely. " It all goes back to we're caught up in the romantic assignment and that stupid , mean North Ridge gank he is dating "

" Which isn't that at all ! I just wish he would open up his eyes and see how much I really care about him ! He makes me all tingly and dreamy …and he called me sweetie and I know that Robbie meant it "

" I still cant believe that he hasn't dumped Roxanne for you " noted Tori

" Well, she is all sexy and ganky and rich ," says Cat, worriedly ," and gorgeous . I'm not any of those things and I ..I just worry that heis going to love her "

" Love a North Ridge gank, " interjected Jade ," never gonna happen . Rob might be blind and ..a lot of stupid things but I've seen how he looks at you, Cat "

" Aw, Jade, that is the nicest thing I have ever heard you say to anyone " said Tori

" Well, just shut up about it ," warned Jade ,' this isn't about me or you "

" I love how Robbie looks at me ," sighed Cat ," I feel so special when he looks at me "

" So, what are you going to do about you and Robbie ?" inquired Tori, curiously .

" Do you think it would be bad of me if I…if I fought for Robbie ? I mean, I know it might make me seem like a bad girl since he has a girlfriend already but she doesn't deserve him. I really want a honest to goodness real relationship with Robbie but I cant have that if he is still with ..Roxanne "

Cat wrung her hands , nervously . " I don't want to be cheaty or make him cheat cause that's not how Robbie is and I normally wouldn't ..cause I'm a good girl . "

" Cat ," Jade interrupted her ," we wont think ..bad , of you so you should ….fight for Robbie "

" I never thought this would be something I would ever be saying ," said Tori with a light laugh ," but if you care that much about Robbie, which obviously you do then you have to fight for him, Cat "

" Thank you, thank you ," Cat engulfed them in a group hug ," you guys are the best friends ever . I love you , guys "

She ran into the kitchen ," I need a drink then you can help me practice being mean and figuring out what I should do to get rid of his evil girlfriend '

Tori eyed Jade with natural suspicion in her eyes. " Why are you being so nice ?"

A wistful smile touched Jade's lips and spread across her face as she was reminded of a time not so long ago when she was extremely happy .

" Cat is my friend "

" That has never stopped you from being mean before , Jade " reminded Tori

" Tori, cant you see that Cat is practically in love with Robbie ? Being in love is the best feeling I have ever had ," admitted Jade , quietly ," figure that Cat and Robbie deserve a shot at love , too "

Robbie felt a slight pang of panic mingled with déjà vu as he , along with Roxanne , stood outside the door of his grandmothers apartment .

It had only been a couple years back that Cat , looking as pretty as a picture in pink, had stood with him , freaking out over his very critical Mammaw .

Except now he had his girlfriend impatiently tapping her foot and not looking near as nervous or enthused as he had hoped she would be to meet his family.

" Robert , the longer we are here," reminded Roxanne," the longer the lines at the restaurant . You know how I hate to wait …."

Robbie nodded and rapped hard on the door . " Mammaw , its Robbie ! "

" I have a gun ," called a shrill voice through the door ," I can call the police ! "

Robbie groaned . " Mammaw, its me ! It's Robbie , open up the door "

After a moments hesitation the door opened revealing Sylvia Shapiro , an older woman, with a mane of white curls, dressed in a busy yellow pants and a flowered jacket .

" Robbie , sweetheart ," Sylvia kissed his cheek ," I'm so glad to see you "

" Hi Mammaw ," Robbie gave her a hug ," I told you it would be after school "

" I lose all track of time ," said a dismissive Sylvia ," who's the blonde ?"

Roxanne stepped forward, extending a hand . " Mrs. .Shapiro , how lovely to meet you . Robert has told me all about you "

Sylvia examined the young woman with a critical eye , noting the expensive cut of the dress and the diamonds winking in her ears . " My, aren't you lovely "

" This is my girlfriend, Roxanne ' introduced an apprehensive Robbie .

" Girlfriend ," repeated Sylvia , censure in each tone ," she is your girlfriend "

" Yes " , explained Robbie ," we've been dating for a month or so , Mammaw "

Roxanne studied the flowered wallpaper and the old fashioned , old lady knickknacks scattered around the apartment , taking a minute to stop and look at framed pictures of a much younger Robert .

" You have a lovely home, Mrs. Shapiro " smiled Roxanne ," this vase is exquisite '

" Thank you, honey ," told Sylvia , " ten bucks at a rummage sale . I can spot a priceless bargain a mile away…course I got out more back in my day "

Roxanne had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

" Robert, I thought you were going to fix the coffee maker for your grandmother " brought up Roxanne ," you should do that "

She smiled at the grandmother . " Your grandson is taking me out for supper at the newest Italian restaurant that just opened up "

" Robbie is a good boy " stated Sylvia ," and do you go to that school with him ? "

" Hollywood arts ," laughed Roxanne ," hardly. I am from North Ridge "

Disapproval shot across the older woman's face and she couldn't hide her disdain .

" You got money ," Sylvia didn't censor herself ," thought you were all high fauloughten with those fancy diamonds . Where did you and Robbie meet ?"

" Online ," answered Roxanne, smoothly ," and when we met in person, I realized what a gem Robert really is . He is very attentive and such a good boyfriend ….."

Robbie stuck his head out of the kitchen ," Mammaw , come in here and I will show you how to fix your coffee "

Sylvia stepped in the kitchen, closing the door behind her . " What happened to the redhead ?"

Robbie was taken back. " Cat and I are just friends," explained Robbie ," so, you just press this button, drop in the coffee pod, and close it . Fill this top portion with water up to the line and press this button till it turns green "

" That girl is fake ," declared Sylvia , not mincing words ," you can do better "

" You've only just met her ," protested Robbie ," and Roxanne is …sweet "

His grandmother scoffed at him. " Blondie is as fake as she comes ," went on Sylvia ," I can see through her type . Thinks since we're Shapiro's , you've got money "

" Roxanne isn't like that ," insisted Robbie , half-heartedly ," you don't like anyone I have brought over here with me "

" That isn't true ," continued Sylvia ," I liked Cat "

" You were rude and awful to her ," reminded Robbie , wanting to scream ," you insulted her the whole time she was here with me , mamaw "

" Because I could see that the girl clearly cared about you ,' explained Sylvia as if it had been a simple matter all along ," wanted to get a sense of the girl my grandson would marry . That little redhead argued with me for ten minutes over you and her being friends ….which told me she really cared about you "

" You tried to fix me up with Brenda …."

Sylvia shrugged ," I'm Jewish and I know people …I'm suppose to try to fix you up with my friends relatives and grandaughters . Its in the DNA, Robbie "

" This is really ..strange and nice to know , Mammaw , but the truth is that I am happy with Roxie ," explained Robbie , trying not to be happy about this new revelation about Cat ," and Cat and I are just friends "

" So , go get the redhead "

" I am not chasing after Cat when I already have a girlfriend " declared Robbie ,stubbornly .

" Robert , we really should be going now " called out a bored Roxanne ," we don't really have the time for a nice visit with your grandmother "

" I don't like her " stated Sylvia , kissing his cheek ," think about what I said "

" Yes, mammaw , I will " Robbie was already thinking about ," we have to go "

Taking Roxanne's hand , Robbie led her out of his grandmothers apartment then turned to press a quick kiss across his girlfriends lips . " Thank you "

" I smell like Ben gay ," shivered Roxanne ," thank god, I have perfume in my purse "

" I appreciate you going with me ," said Robbie ," why don't we go play some baby golf after we have supper ? Make it a super fun night …."

Roxanne patted his cheek . " Baby golf is so gross, I'd rather go dancing "

" Oh "

Robbie couldn't help but to think how overjoyed Cat would be to play baby golf .

Maybe he needs a exorcism to rid Cat from his mind , once and all .

Idly , he wondered if Jade could help him with that or if he was being stupid for even considering asking her . He needed to do something drastic here and soon .


	16. Chapter 16

**You love me again **

**Who said I stopped ?**

**The **memory reverberated through Jade's mind and heart, along with the countless other times spent with Beck, be it a heated kiss between class or the private moments spent in his Rv, and on this particular day, they wouldn't leave her .

Had they still been together , today would have been their anniversary.

She had never been especially mushy about stuff like that but dates and times spent with Beck had always been high on her priorities . Knowing that she would need an extra reserve of steel and brass to get her through school, Jade had dressed in one of her favorite outfits that always made her feel sexy and super confident .

Tucking the necklace beneath her shirt , Jade tried to focus on distracting herself , torturing Tori was always fun or maybe she could even..maybe help Cat with Robbie .

Anything to keep the memories at bay .

She closed her eyes , took a deep breath, and slammed her locker , hoping to block out all of the emotions that were bubbling so close to the top .

This wasn't the kind of pain she enjoyed , this was the fresh pain that made her do stupid things, like confide in Vega or be extra nice to Sinjin .

Dumb chizz .

Jade took another drink of her coffee, searched across the hall for her friends, only to spot Andre and Tori making out by the brunette's locker.

Oddly enough, Cat didn't seem to be hanging around yet which was weird .

The girl had been arriving early to wait for Robbie ….she really had it bad for the nerd.

" Jade "

Jade lifted her gaze and fell into the fathomless eyes of her ex-boyfriend , who looked very hot this morning , which so wasn't right .

" What ?" She just wasn't in the mood for this whatever it was he was doing .

Beck was silent , taking in the fact that she was dressed in one of his favorite outfits today . Jade wore a simple green shirt with her short black skirt .

She always looked hot and so incredibly gorgeous in green .

That hadn't changed because he still felt that way about her . Jade was a beautiful woman .

" You look incredible "

Jade's eyes darkened , recognizing the husky tone of his voice and sighing . " Beck , don't "

" Its not alright for me to ..give you a compliment anymore either ?" asked Beck , feeling drawn to her even more so and didn't know whether it was still the attraction between them or the fact that today would have been their day .

" No….I don't think so….just go charm some other grunge today "

" Do you remember what today is , Jade ?" asked Beck , in a quiet voice .

Her heart shattered all over again at the question . He expected her to forget ?

" Like I could ever forget our anniversary but God, I am trying to "

The air wavered between them, Beck studying her lips and Jade holding his gaze.

Both yearning and afraid to speak the truth, neither willing to make the concession .

Beck closed his eyes , only to relive in his minds eye, holding her close , making love to her , the whispered words of love .

" I bought you those fancy new scissors last year and you bought me a shirt "

" It wasn't a bugged out dog or lemonade " blurted out Jade , forgetting herself .

His lips twitched in a smile . " It's still one of my favorite shirts …"

Jade caught herself from giving in and kissing him. " Stop , Beck, we have to stop this ," she said ," do you hate me that much ? This your new fun. Torture me about us ? "

" No," protested Beck, astounded that she would suggest such a thing ," that isn't it , at all, Jade . I don't hate you…..I could never hate you "

" Really ," managed Jade, fighting her tears ," cause this is cruel to me "

" Jade ….all I have been able to think about since last night is today " admitted Beck

She caught herself before she echoed the same sentiments . " Please , don't "

He would never know how much that plea cost her as she ran down the hallway, class be damned .

Robbie had spent a restless night himself , trying to find new ways of exorcising Cat from his mind , while his evening out with Roxie followed by his Mammaw's words haunted him the entire night . He couldn't seem to find a way to put Cat into a compartment .

When he tried ,he only wound up realizing how mean and horrible he had been to her .

It would be only to her generous and kind heart that she not hate his guts .

The fancy Italian restaurant had been nice but not worth the 150 dollars that it had cost him for he and Roxanne to eat out . He could make a better spaghetti than the seventy five dollar plate of pasta he had and she had barely touched her own cannelloni .

Roxie had seemed affectionate but their conversation hadn't been comfortable .

He hadn't felt at ease with her , confiding in her about his ..insecurities as an actor .

Roxanne had seemed more engrossed in her text messaging .

Maybe he needed to be more cool than dork for her to stay interested .

Cat wasn't like that .

" Robbie " Cat approached him , twisting her hair, nervously ," can we talk ? I just want to say how I am so sorry for calling you a liar yesterday . I was hurt and upset …I shouldn't have said that …I didn't mean it "

" I'm the one who is sorry, Cat ," Robbie moved closer to her on the steps ," I mucked everything up. You know how much it means to me that you took care of me….cause it meant a lot . I hate arguing with you…I was a big jerk "

He removed his hand from behind his back, holding out a single pale pink rose and handed it to her .

" Forgive me, Cat ?"

" Oh Robbie " Moved by the sweet gesture , Cat took the rose with one hand and then wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight in a hug ," of course, I forgive you. This is so ..sweet of you and kind and …you have to be the most thoughtful guy in the whole world …"

He slipped his arm around her waist to hold her . " I kind of doubt that but I shouldn't have dismissed what you said yesterday either …."

She lifted her eyes, brown eyes all soft and wide. " About us , you mean ?"

" Yes ," acknowledged Robbie, because it had been all he had been thinking about the last few nights ," things have ..changed between us, Cat . I guess I'm just not real sure why ….why did they change ? "

Cat considered this , thoughtfully , and nibbled on the side of her lip .

" Maybe because I was …afraid to see you, before ….."

She pressed her forehead against his . " I..I don't know why I never did …Robbie, maybe its my psychological problems "

Cat laughed, lightly . Hoping the joke would lighten this undercurrent between them.

" You don't have psychological problems, Cat " assured Robbie , very quietly .

They may as well have been the only two people existing at this moment because neither could see or hear the endless chatter of the halls surrounding them, only each other .

He dropped a kiss to her nose . " I've always seen you …."

" I know ….and I am really happy about it " murmured Cat , as their lips met in a gentle kiss . He hesitated only a second as if giving himself time to think about it before deepening the kiss and felt buoyant when she responded eagerly to him.

Andre cleared his throat ," I was gonna ask what goes on but everyone's caught the show, by now …"

Tori elbowed him. " Leave them alone …first time we caught Cat and Robbie kissing …"

Robbie heard them through his haze of only Cat and recognized that their friends , along with half of their classmates , had been watching them .

" Hey ," managed Robbie, letting go of Cat ," um, we were ….that is Cat and I were just …right "

Cat twirled the rose in her hands and beamed at him. " I think they could see that we were kissing , Robbie " She giggled, happily ," Tori, isn't this the prettiest flower that he brought me ? "

Tori took her arm, " It is pretty and why don't you come with me, Cat . I want to hear exactly how you went from fighting to …kissing …."

" Oh….well, Kay , but Robbie and I still haven't exactly had a chance to talk about it "

" You can talk to Robbie later ," insisted Tori ," I want to hear all about it ..now "

" Give the girl a minute to breathe, Tori " spoke up Andre, who had been studying Robbie, closely . His friend looked happy and torn combined .

" We will see you boys later …." declared Tori, pulling Cat along with her .

" Go ahead and say it ," replied Robbie ," I know your dying to tell me that you told me so …."

" I did but that's not really what I want to say ," Andre gestured for Robbie to follow him into an empty classroom ," I've been trying to stay out of your business . Been hard cause both you and Cat are my friends …and Tori wants to help . "

" Not to mention I told you that I was handling my own love life " added Robbie

" That , too ," Andre went on, seriously ," look, I know you've got feelings for Cat . You've never been good at hiding them, dude , but you've got a girlfriend …."

Robbie hung his head, ashamed . " I know ….and things aren't perfect with me and Roxie either . "

" Look, I dated Hope Quincy for all the wrong reasons ," admitted Andre, with a groan ," not one of my proudest moments . I'm cool enough to admit I was wrong …and if your not into Roxanne like you thought you were then you need to end things with her "

" I care about Roxie ," swore Robbie , ignoring the look Andre gave him," just ..it's not ..its not the same as what I feel for Cat, I think "

" That doesn't sound so hard to figure " said Andre ," so, maybe try to not treat Cat like the other woman while you 're still making your mind up about the girls . She doesn't deserve that…neither of them do"

" I'm not ," protested Robbie, sounding weak to his own ears ,' I don't mean to….I would never be so disrespectful . I think so much of Cat ….."

" What about your girlfriend ?" inquired Andre , trying to get him to deal with it .

Those North Ridge girls must have really gotten under his skin cause even though he'd caught Robbie kissing Cat , Roxie must have been playing with his mind.

" You want the truth or the stuff I am still working through ? "

" Truth is always best " stated Andre, matter of fact.

Robbie leaned against a desk. " I still don't know what I feel for Roxie ," told Robbie , woefully ," I mean, naturally I feel something ..I have feelings for her . Maybe they aren't as deep as what I feel for Cat but that doesn't make them any less feelings …."

He sighed ," I can tell you how my Mammaw feels about her , however "

" You took Roxanne to meet your grandma ," said Andre , approving ," that is something ..big . Meeting some of your family …that's a big deal , Robbie …"

" Mamaw is convinced that Roxanne is a fake ," informed Robbie ," oh, and I am apparently going to marry Cat one day …"

Andre couldn't help but chuckle ," That's cool. Your grandma said all that ?"

" Yes and it wasn't what I was expecting ," admitted Robbie, " I don't know anymore …and I know I probably shouldn't have kissed Cat but I had too ….."

Andre placed a hand on his shoulder . " I'm not gonna be hating your guts or anything , Rob, but you need to be figuring out which girl you want to be with cuz the longer you stay with your girl then go round kissing Cat, the uglier the chizz is going to be "

" What would you do , Andre ?"

" I don't know Roxanne but you know I'm on the side of Cat with this whole thing "

Jade had gone back to avoiding Beck but it seemed as if their meshing schedules had them constantly within reach of the other . Neither had changed anything either.

" Jade ! "

Cat slid into the bench across from her friend at the lunch table . " Where we you this morning ? You weren't in Sikowitz class ….you never skip "

Jade picked at her salad . " Wasn't in the mood …"

" Was Beck with you too ?" inquired Cat, curiously ," he was late to class this morning "

" No ," answered Jade, harsher than she intended ," I just bailed . Couldn't deal with all of the crap this morning ….." She let out a heavy sigh," So, Tori told me you and Robbie were creating a pretty big spectacle in the hall this morning .."

Cat blushed , prettily . " Robbie apologized for being a jerk and kissed me "

Jade managed a semblance of a smile . " This mean you and Rob are together now ? "

" No, it was just kissing ," says Cat , in a small voice," but he admitted that there is something more between us. I think he just …has feelings for North Ridge too "

" Which is why you have to fight and show him why he needs to dump the gank and be with you, Cat " reminded Jade , glad to focus on something else ," we talked about this . Robbie wants you…he's just too old fashioned to do what any normal dude would do which is to kick the gank to the curb to be with you instead …."

" He hasn't been bringing Rex with him ," pointed out Cat ," I think that this is a really good sign that maybe he doesn't need him so much anymore "

" Well, its taking him long enough but sure," agreed Jade ," him being a normal 17 year old dude is cool. Plus I got thinking ….if he's sleeping with his girlfriend , that might be a big part of why he hasn't dumped her yet …"

Cat looked down, uncomfortable at the turn of the conversation . " I try to forget about that ….it hurts when I think about Robbie with her in that way "

She picked at her nail polish ," I really ..he would have to love her to sleep with her . I know Robbie, Jade , and then I really would be an awful person if he loves her "

" CAT, " Jade sighed , exasperated ," stop..cant believe I am saying this to you but stop…over thinking this . Rob does that enough for the both of you…."

" You're right ," realized Cat ," I am just so happy and I want to be with Robbie so much "

She came down from her little bubble and frowned at her friend .

" Jade , why are you being nice ? Why are you sad ? "

" It will be much less painful for all of us when you and Robbie finally get together , that is why ….."

" That does understand why you seem sad ?" inquired Cat, knowingly then it occurred to her in an instant ," oh my God, today is yours and Beck's anniversary ! Isn't it ? "

" Wish you hadn't remembered that …."

" I'm sooo sorry , Jade " Cat leaned over to hug her ," can I help ? I should have brought you new scissors or something …..has it been so awful for you ?"

Jade moved back," Not the easiest day in the world so can we not talk about it "

Cat nodded and pulled the rose from her backpack. " I can listen …."

" Thanks but just not wanting to talk about it ," said Jade ," though you know what might make me feel better ? Cutting up that pretty rose of yours…."

She flashed her a semi wicked smile ," Give me the flower, Cat '

Cat made a face and held the rose closer to her . " No! Robbie got this for me ! You are not destroying my rose , Jade "

Jade smirked ," I'd feel better …."

" Well, I don't want you to feel bad but you still cant have my flower from Robbie "

From his view under the awning, Beck studied Jade with Cat and wondered if he should join them. He couldn't seem to focus on anything but Jade today .

It was unnerving and hadn't been like that since they had first gotten together .

Tori approached him. " Cat and Robbie aren't together . It was just a kiss …"

Beck managed a wan smile ," So I heard ….complicated is what I heard "

" Your staring awfully hard at Jade there, Beck ," noticed Tori , searching his eyes for a clue ," you want to talk about it ? I still don't have my diploma in Doctor Love but I'd be willing to listen and maybe I could help….."

" Today is mine and Jade's anniversary . Would be if we were still together "

" Oh ," Tori placed a calming hand on his wrist ," oh that is why there is more weirdness than usual . Do you want to talk about it ?"

" Not right now ," admitted Beck , wryly,' not here "

" I know ," exclaimed Tori ," you could come over to my house after school. I know you and Andre have had the dude talk or whatever but maybe you just need a woman's perspective …."

" You hate Jade " pointed out Beck, obviously .

" I don't ..hate Jade ," corrected Tori , glancing back at the table ," Jade and I have a ..complicated yet strange friendship . So, you'll come over …"

" Sure ," agreed Beck, noticing how Jade seemed to be mainly listening . " I cant do this ….too much going on . I'm going to go to the Black Box to eat lunch…later "

" Later " called Tori, the wheels turning in her head as she watched Beck go inside .

Andre walked over, phone to his ear and speaking very loudly .

" No, Grandma, the washing machine repair guy isn't going to hurt you "

" I don't know him, Andre ! Where is my baseball bat ? " screeched Charlotte Harris .

Andre let out a breath and prepared to ease her mind . " You don't need your baseball bat , Grandma ," reassured a gentle Andre ," put it down. The man wont hurt you ..he is just going to fix your washer so you can have some clean clothes .."

" I don't trust him, Andre "

" How about I call him and then come by after school ,' offered Andre ," I'll make sure he got everything working properly "

" You can come and fix it, Andre ' declared Charlotte," don't want a stranger in my house"

" I'll swing by after school ," answered Andre ," you eat your lunch , grandma , and watch your soap operas until I get there "

" Okay, Andre " agreed a compliant Charlotte, ending the phone call.

Andre hung up his phone and turned to kiss Tori . " Sorry about that, baby, but my Grandma is freaking over the washing machine repairman "

" She would be lost without you " Tori snuggled against him," love you "

Andre kissed her, swiftly . " Love you too, Tori ," replied Andre ," what can I say ? Grandma has always been there for me ..before she lost her mind and nobody else is going to take care of her . Not her fault she lost her mind ….so, why are you standing over here by yourself ?"

" Thought I saw you hanging with Beck …."

" I was hanging with Beck ," explained Tori ," did you know today is Beck and Jade's anniversary ? Beck told me …."

" Holy chizz, I forgot all about it ," muttered Andre ," don't know if we ever told you but when they were together, this was sort of a big day for them. Jade was less mean …..in their own way, they were sort of sweet on their anniversary "

" Beck and Jade ?'

" It's true ,' explained Andre ," you can ask Cat and Robbie . So, since I gotta go by grandma's after school, I'll swing by your house after instead . "

" Cool ," said Tori ," I'll get a ride from Beck "

She didn't mention that she was offering their friend some love advice as well , just because she knew Andre wasn't crazy about her always meddling .

He thought it was meddling, she considered it helping.

" Cool so you wanna join Jade and Cat ?" asked Andre , leading her over to the table .

" Sure , why not " said Tori ," hey guys , we thought we would join you "

" Whatever "

" You look so cheerful today, Jade " smiled Tori , " did Cat tell you about what happened with her and Robbie this morning ? It was very romantic….and very unlike Robbie "

" He kissed her ," jade deadpanned ," yea, Cat told me a couple times .."

" I keep telling you, Tori, that Robbie can be romantic ," insisted a slightly perturbed Cat ," I don't know why you don't believe me,"

" It's not that I don't believe you," said Tori ," I just don't see it in Robbie is all "

" You don't know Robbie the way that I do " defended Cat of her man.

It didn't matter that they weren't yet together , she thought of him as her man.

" Girls," Andre held up his hands ," don't think its worth having a waz over "

" True " said a quiet Jade ," speaking of Rob, where is he ?"

" I'm here ," Robbie plopped down beside Cat ," sorry I am late . Roxanne called me …how do you guys feel about hanging with me and her at Karaoke Dokee this weekend ? She's been bugging me about all of us ..hanging out and I sort of already told her it would be cool …."

He was very aware of Cat studying him ," Things with Roxie aren't easy, Cat . "

Cat placed her hand on his and sent him an understanding smile . " Talking to her isn't easy either , Robbie . Is that what you were going to say ?"

" Exactly ," replied Robbie , confused even more ," and I thought it might be easier once she has hung out with all of my friends . I've got to go to some North Ridge party tonight ….."

" You sound excited about it " noted Tori, matter of fact.

" North Ridge parties are ..bit much for me but guess that's what I get for dating one "

Cat leaned into him, brushing her shoulder against his . " I think it is important that you tell her about …..us , Robbie . "

All eyes turned to the non-couple , no one had been expecting Cat to be handling this in the manner that she was . It was surprising to them all.

" There are a lot of things Roxie and I need to discuss , Cat ' muttered Robbie , honestly .

" I know …" says Cat ," and I noticed you didn't bring Rex today . Where is he ?"

Robbie paused , loving this comfortableness with Cat , and realizing he had forgotten all about Rex this morning.

" Uh, I don't know ," admitted Robbie ," guess he was still sleeping '

" It would be cool ," added Andre ," if you decided you can do without him, Rob "

" We're behind you all the way too " encouraged Tori, helpfully.

' Yeah, even me " contributed Jade, idly wondering where Beck had gone too .

" Thanks , guys, but I just forgot him " muttered Robbie , not sure if he was ready for that step yet ,' I am sure I will hear about it when I get home "

He needed to change the subject ." So, about Karaokee Dokee ?"

Cat answered for all of them ," We would love to hang out with you and Roxanne "

She had her own plan.

Trina was in a frantic dizzy preparing to go out nearly as soon as she and Tori got home

" Leo is picking me up in an hour ," explained Trina, running up the stairs ," big party at some friends house in North Ridge after dinner . I am borrowing your purple dress to wear with my Fizzene boots "

" You forgot to wash it the last time you borrowed it! " yelled Tori, pouring herself and Beck glasses of lemonade .

" She is dating a North Ridge dude ?' questioned Beck, accepting the lemonade .

" Yep, don't know how they met ," told Tori, sitting down on the sofa beside him," don't really want to know either . I try to stay out of Trina's love life ….much easier "

Buck chuckled ," Sounds wise "

" So, you and Jade," brought up Tori, in a light tone ," jade and you. Something did go on when you took care of her ?"

Beck placed the lemonade on the table . " No, not really ," sighed Beck, who had been wrestling with his feelings since then ," I hate when Jade is sick. You know what, Tori ? I didn't even think that we weren't together ..all I knew was she looked so pale and it was up to me to take care of her "

" Thought Jade doesn't like to be taken care of ….."

" Mostly that is true ," explained Beck, running a tired hand through his hair ," she's soft and real when she isn't feeling well. It's always been that way with her …I wanted to crawl in bed with her and just hold her "

" Oh my God, Beck ! Why didn't you ? " asked Tori, grasping his flannel shirt with her hands .

" Because I was supposed to be taking care of a friend ," growled Beck, " not wanting to hold and kiss my ex-girlfriend ! That's insane ! I'm a very sane kind of guy ….."

" You still care about Jade " accused Tori, matter of fact .

" I think I do ….," admitted Beck, " I'm not supposed to, Tori ! It's been like …freeing not fighting all of the time or worrying about her freaking out cause im flirting with a pretty girl ! It's our anniversary and its been killing me since I woke up at one this morning wanting her like mad ….I'm losing my mind , Tori "

Tori touched the side of his face. " You are the sanest guy I know, Beck. "

The attraction that had always been between them hovered in the air , in the closeness between them, and clouded the intensity and the confusion already present in Beck's train of mind . Tori had always been beautiful and an amazing friend .

She was always there for him. Would always be there for him.

Her voice was low ," I think you are still in love with Jade "

Beck closed the space between them , bringing his lips down over hers in a brief kiss .

Tori blinked and realized what was happening ' Beck was kissing her '

Outside of the patio door, Andre dropped the pizza on the ground , his eyes focused on his girlfriend and his best friend kissing on the sofa .

His chest grew tight and he put his hand on the doorknob, wanting to go in there and confront them. Why ?

He ran his hands through his hair , gnawed on his lips, and fought back the urge to cry and possibly throw up.

Tori loved him. He loved her .

He thought that had been pretty simple and real between them.

Oh man, his heart hurt !

Beck was supposed to be his best friend . Course , hadn't he always wondered if Jade hadn't been in the picture , if something might happen between those two?

Tori had kissed Beck on like her second day at school a couple years back.

" I cant do this . Ugh! It hurts ! " Tears and emotions bubbling and about to burst at the seems , Andre simply ran away as far from the Vega house as he could get .

Inside , Tori jumped off of the couch, alarm and panic all across her face .

" BECK, why did you do that ? Oh my God, this is like that time with Daniel ! "

Beck sighed and tried to compose himself. " I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you "

" We were talking about you still loving Jade ," Tori was a mess ," how does that mean for you to kiss me ? Andre will kill me …oh my God, Andre ! "

Beck closed his eyes and tried to think straight . " Andre is my best friend ," repeated Beck, ' and I just crossed the line . I am sorry …I guess I was just trying to make some sense about how I feel about Jade and well, you always are awesome, Tori "

" Jade is going to cut me up with her scissors then find other sick ways to make me pay "

" Jade isn't going to do anything to you," said Beck, calmly ," there is no reason for her to know . "

" Haven't you always wondered about this ….attraction between us ?"

" No, maybe at first but not now ," Tori shook her head ," oh man, I shouldn't have kissed you back. I don't know why I got carried away …Andre will never forgive me "

" This was all of my fault ,Tori ," Beck took full responsibility ," not yours . I was confused about Jade and I mistook my feelings for her with you so there is no need to ruin your relationship with Andre over it. I think you just shouldn't mention it to him…."

" Lie ? I cant lie to Andre ?' moaned Tori, feeling like a gank .

" Not lie ," said Beck, carefully ," let's just forget that it never happened "

" Pretend ?"

" We can do that," decided Beck, " don't beat yourself up over this, Tori. I am just going to go before I do more stupid things ….."

He headed for the door ," Thanks for listening , Tori "

" What are you going to do about Jade ?" asked Tori, forgetting her own guilt for the moment .

" Figure out why I wanted out in the first place , I think " answered Beck, leaving .

Tori fell down on the sofa, burying her face in the pillow and calling herself all kinds of names . How could she have kissed Beck back ?

She didn't want him. Beck was her friend .

She loved Andre .

Trina came down the stairs and sat by her sister . " He's a hot kisser . Isn't he ?"

Tori sat up and gaped at her sister , panic in her eyes . " Trina! You saw ? Oh my God, you cannot tell anyone ! It meant nothing, I swear to you! "

" Beck is a hottie ," said Trina in her way ," however , Andre thinks you're his everything . Kind of shocked you would cheat on him ..isn't Beck his best friend ?"

" Trina , I did not cheat on him," said an upset Tori, hitting her older sister with a pillow ," it was a mistake . Please, I beg of you, you cannot breathe a word of this to anyone ! Not anyone ! "

Trina patted her head ," You'll help me with my vocals "

" I'll be your stupid assistant for a week, if that's what it takes " swore a desperate Tori.

" That's what I like ," Trina gave her a hug ," you can start by ironing my clothes . I have to say though, I might have made a move on Beck. What am I saying ? I would have but I expected better from you, little sister . Andre loves you …."

Tori frowned and continued burying her head in the pillow ," I love him, too "

" Don't worry ," reassured Trina ,' I am a very skilled liar . I will help you master the art and your precious Andre will never know you and Beck macked …"

Unfortunately , Tori knew all too well, that she had done a bad thing .

A horrible, awful thing . _


	17. Chapter 17

Andre felt like a damn wonkin chizzin fool .

There was so much wonk going around in his head , he couldn't think straight , couldn't see straight , he felt as if all of this chizz was going to explode all over the place .

He closed his eyes , only to open them wide as the vivid image of his Tori kissing Beck flashed before his eyes like an instant replay that was on a loop.

Tori and Beck.

His girl, the girl he loved since practically the first day he met her, and his best friend .

Andre's heart beat erratically against his chest , he pressed a hand against it as if that would stop it , and wondered if he was too young for a heart attack.

Cause it felt like he was having one , right now, and it sucked .

Hollywood Arts musician Andre Harris collapsed , the cause , heart attack from a busted up and broken heart .

Andre ran a hand through his hair and tried to breathe .

Breathing was easy. He could breathe ..maybe .

God, why would they betray him like this ?

He couldn't make sense out of it ..too much wonk going around in there .

He was a good person, he always tried to be a good person .

Andre had made a promise to his Grandma that he would always be a good person.

He didn't like to disappoint her and tried his hardest to live by his morals and the values that she had taught him. He wasn't perfect but then no one was .

Though he supposed he had always placed Tori on a pedestal ,because as far as he had been concerned , she was about as perfect as they came in girls .

Maybe it had been his foolish heart talking .

Cheating wasn't like Tori though and she knew ..she knew how much he hated cheating .

Cheating was the worse betrayal ever in his eyes .

He hated it fiercely , ever since he was a little boy and had been caught between his parents own cheating games . Andre had witnessed first hand what cheating could do and he hated it . Both of his parents hadn't been happy with their marriage and rather than talk and work on it , they choose to cheat repeatedly on the other until they were caught or until it had been too much for his mom to take any longer .

After this last time , she had just dropped him at his Grandmothers house and left .

It was no wonder that his grandmother had eventually lost her mind since both his folks always shoved her in the middle of their war . Before that had all gone down , Charlotte Harris had always been his rock . She had always taken care of him so now it was up to him to always be there for his grandma .

Andre felt moisture across his cheeks and let them fall, not minding , as he tried to figure what he had done wrong to deserve this ..chizz .

He loved Tori .

Cheating ..God, he would never even think about betraying her . Ever .

Okay so he had that one time last year when Jade had stepped in to help him write a song and he had thought he might have been in love with her .

It had been willy wonky and insane but he never made a move on her .

Hadn't even tried and couldn't because she was Beck's girl .

Beck was one of his best friends .

Andre groaned in frustration and paced across the room , angrily .

He didn't play that way .

That week had been hell on him , eating at his insides for a whole week , until with Tori's help , he had purged his crush on Jade .

No one had been any wiser and there was no harm done .

Tori, Tori, Tori.

He trusted her and loved her more than he ever had anyone cept his family .

Maybe it had been a mistake for them to move beyond friendship . It hadn't felt anything but natural to him but he knew that Tori had been iffy about them , at first .

Being close to Tori felt as natural as breathing air to him.

He had thought they were doing pretty good . Thought they were happy couple .

Man, had he thought wrong .

Beck had always been such a stand up dude .

Andre dragged his hands over his face and fought to find some measure of control.

He wasn't an angry man but right now he was feeling rage mixed in with the hurt and all of the other emotions that were bubbling to the surface wanting unleashed .

Sure his friend could attract all of the girls attention with his awesome hair alone but Andre had never felt threatened by him before .

He always understood that Beck loved Jade .

Cept that Beck and Jade hadn't been together for months ..even now while he was fighting the urge to do something stupid like punch him out , Andre knew in his mind that Beck still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend but it was all of the butts that was driving him out of his mind .

Tori and Beck had kissed a long time ago, when Tori had just started HA.

He had eyes and if he was gonna be honest with himself, he knew there was an attraction there . Hell, they had all seen it .

Which was why Jade had been so crazy psycho about Tori a couple years ago .

At the time it hadn't been any big thing …and it wasn't because Tori and Beck were friends .

Andre closed his eyes and tried not to get over emotional but couldn't help it .

His phone went off to Make It Shine .

Tori .

He wasn't ready just yet to confront her about the whole kissing thing so he took the chickens way out and sent her a text .

Gotta stay with Gma .she's bugging out .

Short and simple .

He wasn't ready yet , still too emotional and wasn't handling it well at all.

Andre moved over to his keyboard, staring at it and knowing sometimes music helped .

His fingers moved across the keys , his mind a blur of images of himself and Tori , always Tori, jumbled with those of various moments of her with Beck.

**Going out of my mind **

**Want to toss back some whiskey and red wine **

**Throw myself off a cliff **

**Andre blew **out a breath , shaking his head at the awful randomness of the lyrics , and didn't think there was a song bur**ied in the **garbage .

Fingers flew across the keys in the achingly familiar chords of Countdown .

He had never fessed up to Tori about that particular song - it had been one hundred percent all about her .

It was all because of the Hope Quincy thing .

" I was a terrible person," realized Andre , to himself as bile rose to himself ," this is my penance for being a bad person . I need some Belgium cocoa ….."

Which he and Tori always shared when they had problems .

Uugh !

" I need to get out of here …" Andre grabbed his portable keyboard and his keys .

He needed fresh air so he would drive until he found some to clear his head .

" I don't know why I let you talk me into allowing you to drive , Robert ," grumbled an annoyed Roxanne ," you know how much I hate this piece of junk you drive "

Robbie gripped the wheel , tightly , and felt the tension in about every pore in his body . It had seemed as if his girlfriend had an awful day at school and was intent on taking it out of him. Which she had been doing since he had picked her up a half hour ago.

" There isn't anything wrong with my car ," defended Robbie ," you never saw it before it was stolen from thugs. It actually looks much nicer now and it hasn't broken down in ages since Beck fixed it for me ….its pretty trusty "

Roxanne rolled her eyes and adjusted the diamond bracelet . " It's ugly and hideous ," informed Roxanne ," also not cool. Be sure and park alongside the street so that no one I know recognizes me ….I don't want to explain that to anyone "

Robbie tried not to be offended but felt a twinge of hurt . " What would you explain ? That your boyfriend isn't rich and drives a practical, affordable car "

" You go to Hollywood Arts ," Roxanne patted his hand ," it just seems so out of place that you don't drive a ..cooler car "

He parked the car and turned to face her , all serious . " Do you listen to me when we talk ? Because I ..I feel like maybe ..sometimes you ..I don't know..don't hear me, Rox "

Roxanne bit the inside of her cheek, an angry tick working . " Listen to you …oh I listen , Robert, but a girl can only take so much talk about ….tutoring and acting class and Cat . You like to talk about Cat a lot …..I hear that and it rather pisses me off "

Robbie nodded and reached for her hand . " I ..I haven't been honest ..well, not entirely honest with you, Roxanne, and I never meant to . I…I never wanted this to be an issue but I cant ask for honesty from you, if I don't give you the same "

He took a deep breath, found some courage , and said ," I have feelings ..for Cat "

Roxanne yanked her hand away . " I figured as much ," Roxanne was cool," and I appreciate you finally telling me . Now Robert, I know we don't have much in common but I thought we both wanted the same things out of this relationship …."

" Love "

" For us to be the perfect couple and for me to help you discover your inner cool geek " Roxanne pressed a quick kiss against his mouth ," we are so close. You just need to trust me a bit more and let me treat you to the salon….I know how much you detest the time it takes to straighten your hair for me …"

" I do it for you," admitted Robbie , awkwardly ," I ..really don't like it this way. it's a lot of work and I don't do well with gel and hair products …even though Beck recommended some men's hair products . It's …just not ..me "

" It's the new cooler you , honey " cooed Roxanne ,kissing the side of his face ," now don't you feel a lot better about us since we chatted ?"

" You never mentioned anything about love…" brought up a confused Robbie .

" We haven't been together ..that long " laughed Roxanne ," now enough serious , its time for the party. I cant wait for you to meet all of my friends, Robert, and try not to say anything too weird ….this isn't your usual crowd '

" Weird ," Muttered Robbie ," I don't say weird things …."

They walked across the street to a large house that was much more expansive and lavish , it might have been a mansion. This was more of the elite side of North Ridge , the rarely seen ritzy upper classy folks lived here , unlike the girls he often tutored on the other side of town .

" Roxie ! "

" Leo ," called Roxanne , greeting the extremely handsome dude with an air kiss ," great party ! I hope you got the good champagne this time ..not that ten dollar drivel you bought for Haley's birthday smash "

Leo hugged her ," Only your favorite kind "

Robbie frowned and felt uncomfortable . This wasn't his type of party .

" Uh, hi, I'm Robbie ….I'm Roxie's boyfriend "

" Robert ," corrected Roxanne, shooting him a filthy look ," Robert goes to Hollywood Arts . I mentioned him to you, Leo …."

A look that Robbie couldn't decipher passed between them but he let it go.

" Hollywood Arts is cool ," Leo shook his hand ," you a musician , Rob ?"

" Uh, not really ," answered Robbie , honestly ," I'm more of a ..comedian , I guess "

" Leo, you have steaks on the buffet ," Trina burst into the conversation, dressed to the hilt in a sparkly purple dress and her ever present Fizzenee heels ," and French champagne ! I don't normally drink but you just might tempt me …."

" Trina ?"

Trina stopped her rant and stared at the newcomers ," Robbie , what are you doing here ?"

" Hey Trina ," Robbie was grateful for a familiar face . Even if it was Trina ," I didn't expect to see you here . I am here with Roxanne, my girlfriend ….and you're here with Leo "

" I don't usually talk to you but yea ," said Trina, putting an arm around her boyfriends neck ," this is Leo . He is the new boyfriend ..did Tori tell you I made him up ? "

" Don't think Tori actually mentioned anything about you recently " told Robbie , watching as Leo moved from the clingy girls embrace . He looked for his own girlfriend and found that she was …there she was mingling with the other party goers .

He frowned and had a feeling that this wasn't going to be a good night , at all .

" Your woman left you " pointed out Trina ," I'm really surprised she is with you . She's hot and your not , Robbie …."

" You could be a little nicer to me " pointed out Robbie , defensively ," your about the only person I know at this party . We could ..hang tonight …"

" I need to mingle " declared Trina , matter of fact. With a careless wave, the older Vega sister dove into the crowd and left Robbie wishing he was anywhere but here .

Like watching a movie with Cat would have been really nice .

Roxanne had seemed a ..little jealous about his truth about Cat but she hadn't broken up with him. It was still all too confusing but he needed to stop worrying over it and go be the dutiful boyfriend for her .

He felt anything but dutiful about his relationship .

Weary was a word for how he felt right now .

" Robert , come here ," Roxanne waved him over ," I want you to meet some friends of mine "

" Rightaroo "

Roxanne winced ," He is just doing his terrible Andy Samberg gig for laughs "

" Cause I do that …soo often " said a tense Robbie , putting an arm around her shoulder and feeling extremely fake ," hi, I'm Robbie "

" Robert "

" I prefer Robbie …" He received a glare from her but he wasn't crazy about his name being so formal when he didn't even go by it in the first place, " its nice to meet you "

The two blondes giggled and started making polite chit chat before bombarding him with questions about Hollywood arts . They had always had a rivalry with North Ridge so he always was surprised when they showed an interest in him and his life .

Roxanne led him around the room, mingling, and introducing him to 50 of her closest friends , who Robbie was convinced were all the rich kids of North Ridge .

She got caught up in some juicy gossip with some of her friends over some champagne so Robbie excused himself for some fresh air . He grabbed a water off of the table and discovered that the party hadn't actually made it outside .

This was a relief .

He wasn't really feeling like he fit in with this crowd of people .

Even with his newly straightened hair that he really hated.

He didn't even feel like he was his girlfriends arm candy or was it eye candy ?

Robbie never could remember what Beck and Andre called it for dudes.

Shouldn't he be having the time of his life since he was hanging out at a super cool party with his smoking hot girlfriend ?

It really bothered him that their talk hadn't really solved anything between them. Oh sure, Roxanne hadn't been really happy about the Cat situation but he had been honest .

She didn't want to break up with him .

Did he really want to be with Roxanne ?

Just then a text came through and Robbie grinned widely when he saw who it was from .

I miss you, Robbie - Cat

Feeling only the tiniest bit of guilt, Robbie typed out a message and hit the send button.

He missed Cat entirely too much, considering it had only been an hour or so since he had seen her and talked to her .

Robbie knew that he couldn't keep second guessing himself but his fear held him at bay .

He needed to think long and hard about if he was ready to put his heart on the line with Cat and take a chance or try to save his relationship with Roxanne .

While Robbie was pondering this thought and flipping through his pictures of Cat on his pear phone, his friend Freddie Benson in Seattle , was spending his evening in the icarly studio tickering with the latest footage from their web show while keeping one eye and an ear focused on the girls .

Carly Shay and Sam Puckett were huddled together dishing the dirt on the latest possibility for Carly to date . She had been boyfriend less for a while and felt as if she was in a rut -and Sam was contributing her usual commentary on the fact .

Wasn't anything new , just the usual .

Freddie listened with only half an ear , until the sound of Sam's husky laughter caught his attention and he turned his gaze towards her. That sound still pulled at his gut .

As always , Sam was completely oblivious to him or the thoughts running through him.

It killed him to admit even to himself that their break up still weighed heavy on him .

That sometimes , like now, being around her was next to impossible for him to hide the feelings he still held for her.

It didn't seem to bother Sam one way or the other .

Not that he was bitter about that or anything , since she was the one who dumped him.

Didn't she miss what they had as a couple ?

Freddie sighed when he realized his feelings were getting out of hand so he flipped over to the Slap page to check up on the latest going ons with their friends in Hollywood .

He scrolled through the pages, chuckling at the couply looking picture of Andre and Tori at the gangs lunch table , ah, a picture of Jade West , looking pretty mad or sad.

He really couldn't determine the emotion on her face -she wasn't like Sam.

Aha , now that was interesting .

Tori had posted a recent pic of one Cat Valentine and Robbie Shapiro kissing on the steps .

He was gonna have to give Robbie hell over not sending him a text or an email over this .

Crap.

Speaking of his friend, the last time they had spoken , Freddie hadn't given him the best advice and now in hindsight ( not to mention his mind full of Sam and regret ), he knew he needed to do the right thing and fix it .

No sense in the both of them being miserable .

" I gotta…go " mumbled Freddie , giving the girls a distracted wave, " later "

" Hey , Freddie," called Sam, catching his gaze as he turned around ," where's the fire ? Nerd convention on tonight ….."

" Galaxy War time with Shapiro " answered Freddie , without skipping a beat.

" You pathetic nerds have fun …." trailed Sam, under her breath as he had already left .

Back at the North Ridge patio, Robbie had been debating on rejoining the party or inviting Sinjin to crash the party and help him escape this slow hell.

He was about to send the call when his pear phone went off, startling him .

" Hello "

" Robbie , dude , you up for some some Galaxy Wars ? " asked Freddie by way of greeting .

" Would I ever, Freddie , if I were home " answered a glum Robbie ," I'm not "

" You hanging with Cat ?"

" No ," answered a rather dejected Robbie , sinking back down on the chair ," North Ridge shindig with Roxanne . Though its really not the chip and dip kind of party …really fancy, boring party with expensive champagne and food "

" Think I'd take the chips instead ," commented his friend ," so, you sound like your having fun…."

" I should be trying to ," admitted Robbie," but I'm really not. At least the North Ridge parties I went to with Rex were sort of laid back and fun but I just feel like I don't fit in here . I haven't seen my girlfriend in oh , maybe 35 minutes , which has to make me the terrible boyfriend …."

" Your dating evil , Rob " reminded Freddie ," Gibby swears she has no soul so I highly doubt you're the bad boyfriend in this situation "

" I've been texting Cat ," informed Robbie , guiltily ," I am the bad boyfriend . "

" Speaking of Cat, you never told me you kissed the girl ," razzed Freddie , having fun tormenting him," I saw Tori posted a pic of you two macking on the stairs "

A look of panic crossed Robbie's face. " Oh my God , I am going to kill Tori ! "

" It's actually a pretty good one of you and Cat ," informed Freddie with a laugh ," you two look happy, Robbie "

He heaved a sigh," Which is actually the real reason I called so I can apologize "

" Apologize ? I don't understand ..what are you talking about ?"

" I shouldn't have told you to take Cat out of the equation . I don't know what I'm doing giving you advice like that…" trailed Freddie ," it was really bad advice "

" No, it wasn't ," stated Robbie , matter of fact ," its just maybe not working for me as well as it has been for you. I have tried all kinds of math and equation but Cat is in every one of them. I think she is the equation , Freddie "

He paused, thoughtful. " How are you doing with the equations and separate compartments ?"

Freddie sighed himself, leaning back in the chair and glad the girls or Gibby wasn't here to overhear him. " I lied , dude . It sucks , I suck, and I miss Sam. We're not so easy to bury and I don't know if I want to either but I shouldn't have warned you off Cat either "

" Cat is everywhere and everything to me " admitted Robbie , quietly ," purging her doesn't work. Believe me, its only made me a jerk and it hasn't worked "

" Which means you shouldn't ," picked up Freddie , helpfully ," I should have fought more ..I should have fought period for me and Sam, I didn't and I think I ..I really regret that and I don't want you to have regrets . Cat is a great girl . I think, Robbie, if there is something real with you and Cat then you need to take a shot at it with her "

" I've actually been thinking a lot about that too " admitted Robbie ," I don't want to be the guy who cheats on his girlfriend . Cat doesn't deserve that, she is such a lady . I feel like I have no clue what I have been doing and I even told Roxie I have feelings for Cat "

" Roxie didn't break up with you ?"

" Nope ," answered Robbie , " so, have you talked to Sam about your feelings ?"

" Don't change the subject, Shapiro, ' cracked a defensive Freddie ," I'm still working through the whole me and Sam thing . So, your basically in love with Cat and so you should break up with Roxanne …"

" I know but I've never broken up with a girl before ," admitted an insecure Robbie ," besides I promised Roxie we would hang with the guys at Karaoke Dokee this weekend . I was hoping maybe Jade might scare her so then maybe I could break up with her then ..I don't want to hurt Roxanne's feelings "

" Evil doesn't have feelings '

" Freddie , be serious, dude ," replied Robbie ," besides its important to me that Cat understands that she wouldn't be like the rebound babe or anything to me. I couldn't just dump Roxanne and expect Cat to be with me ..I want us to be real together "

" Fine , you handle it however you want , dude ," told Freddie ," at least your being honest about how you feel about Cat for a change …."

" Pretending doesn't work ," declared Robbie ," you should also , I don't know, maybe follow your own advice and let Sam in on these feelings you have for her "

" When I get a sense that she's not going to go boomba on my spine, I might do that ," remarked a sarcastic Freddie with a touch of seriousness ," look I'm gonna get off of here .Keep me posted on what's going on , Rob …"

" Yuperooni ," answered Robbie ," and thanks, man. I really think I needed that "

He hung up , pocketed his pear phone , and decided it was time to leave the party .

First , he needed to find his girlfriend though to do that .

Trina was officially bored .

The food was super expensive and really good though she really wanted some chips and dip right now. That caviar stuff was too salty for her taste .

The champagne was smooth but she figured she didn't want blood tested from her dad , the cop, so she had been drinking diet soda for a while now .

These people owned some really cool, expensive things that she herself would love to own once she became a famous reality star .

However , they were pretty rude and snobby .

She could get rude any day of the week at Hollywood Arts .

Robbie had taken off to who know where and she hadn't seen Leo in forever .

She really hated when her dates pulled the whole disappearing act.

It sucked big time so Trina wandered up the stairs in the look out for him when she heard his voice coming from a room down the hall, a familiar girls voice followed .

Curious and more than a little ready to give him hell, Trina slid up against the wall and peeped her head around the corner.

Her boyfriend had his arm around ….Robbie's girlfriend ?

What the hell was going on here in North Ridge ?

" You were supposed to destroy Trina in the worse way possible ,' said another familiar voice ," that girl got gum blood all over me . Leo, I thought you would have turned her into a little bimbo then dumped her sorry lame ass by now …"

" Now , Tara ," said a placating Leo, " I know your all into the revenge of it all but the girl is confident . She smacked me in the face when I told her she needed a spray tan..I just think if I play with her some more, I will do better to break her heart "

" Well, do it faster " hissed Tara Ganz," we're getting bored "

" I noticed your doing a great job of changing the geek ," brought up Haley Ferguson ," be sure to crush Cat Valentines feelings about the nerd at Karaoke Dokee , where we can all enjoy it . We're not paying you to straighten his hair …..I just wish I could think of the perfect kind of revenge for Jade West and the other Vega girl "

" Relax, ladies ," assured Roxie ," Leo and I have everything under control "

Tara Ganz and Haley Ferguson were the girls who had been the reigning champions of Karaoke Dokee, Haley's fathers club, right until Jade and Cat had sang against them.

Haley had hit on Beck, angering jade, and words had been said and a singing contest ensued with the girls winning .

Thanks to Haley's father but the HA group had cried rigged and thus a war had began.

Jade and Cat had challenged the girls that anyone could have won against them .

In a cruel set up, a disguised Tori Vega had sang Freak the Freak out , winning and as their part of the bet, the girls had to baby-sit Trina who had been like a rapid animal after having her wisdom teeth removed .

Tara and Haley had been biding their time to get revenge , until now .

" You had better or you wont be taking that cruise to the Bahamas after all " told Tara

Trina gasped then covered her mouth, lest she would give herself away !

Those wazbags ! Those evil witches ! The bastard was using her !

Trina contemplated confronting them then realized that Robbie hadn't a clue either .

Normally he wasn't her favorite person , actually , she wouldn't have thought of anyone but herself but he had been used too and oh sigh ! Cat loved the puppet geek .

Cat had always been her friend, no questions asked and that meant a lot .

She would just have to handle things herself and that meant finding Robbie .

" Roxanne , where are you " he called as he worked his way through the house, so far having no luck finding his girlfriend when Trina barreled down the stairs and into him," whoa, Trina, back off . This is flattering but you know I got over my crush on you a long time ago…."

Trina whacked him in the chest. " Oh, shut up, you moron ," hissed Trina ," I have something to tell you. We ..you and I are totally being used by Roxanne and Leo. They don't want us…its all some big revenge gig by those two skanky girls Tori out sang a couple years ago….."

Robbie stared at her with skeptiscm . " Have you been drinking ? I think you have ..because that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard , Trina "

Trina groaned and glared at him." I had one drink..okay, maybe two glasses of champagne but I am not drunk, puppet nerd . I am telling you the truth ! Why would I lie about this ? Do you think I would go tell people when I have been humiliated ?"

Robbie considered ," Maybe . Look its nothing to freak out over, I will just send Tori and Andre a text and they can come pick you up "

" I don't need Tori ," said an exasperated Trina," and I am not drunk. The North Ridge ganks are paying those ganks we've both been dating to screw with us, Robbie "

" I am sending Tori a text right now , Trina " stated Robbie, kindly .

" Are you even listening to me ? I am only telling you this because Cat is my friend "

" Robert , there you are ," Roxanne sailed down the stairs , wrapping her arms around his neck ," I have been ..missing my geeky hot boyfriend sooo much ! Why are you talking to this girl ..I thought she was the one no one in your group liked "

" I'm ready to go," Robbie evaded ," why don't I take you home , Roxie "

" Your such the good boyfriend …I've had way too much champagne ," Roxanne nibbled on his ear," I do love champagne . I bet you didn't even have a beer …."

" I don't really care for the stuff besides I was driving ," replied Robbie ," someone has to be responsible here . Maybe I should take you home too, Trina …."

" I am not riding in a car with you," tossed back Trina ," especially since your going to believe the gank over me . I am a lot of things but I am not lying ! You wanna hang around while I ream Leo a new one for messing with Trina Vega …you'll see that I didn't make it up "

" Uh, no," told Robbie, uncomfortably ," goodnight, Trina . If Tori doesn't come get you, let me know and I can always come back…'

" Don't be offering her rides home , Robert " ordered an aggravated Roxanne ," gank"

" I'll show you a gank…." Trina made to attack before Robbie skillfully steered Roxanne away from her and directly out of the house ," and we're gone "

" That was rather impressive, Robert " said Roxanne , kissing him," thank you for believing in me. This night has been the best ..so much fun "

" Your welcome " replied Robbie, his heart heavy .

He would end things with Roxanne -after karaoke Dokee - and take a chance with Cat .


	18. Chapter 18

**A/n: I want to take the time to thank my friend and writing soul mate The WrtrinMe for support, encouragement , and so appreciative of everything I get from our chats. This chapter wouldn't be possible without her input and the Jade /Tori scene so massive hugs and thank you.**

" TORI ," whined Trina, as she followed her younger sister around the living room as they prepared to go to school," why wont you believe me ? "

Tori ran a brush through her hair and sent her sister an exasperated look. " Because you are you, Trina ," informed Tori, matter of fact ," and the whole thing is insane . It has been years since the whole Karaoke Dokee thing , Haley and Tara might be grunches but for them to be doing what you are saying is kind of …oh..wait, its nuts ! "

" They are North Ridge girls ," informed Trina , applying lip-gloss ," it shouldn't be that big of a leap to nuts ! Never mind the fact that they thought Leo could turn me stupid and dump me…" She scoffed ," He never saw me being the whole dumpee till last night . "

" So happy that you dumped him now can we stop talking about this ," Tori grabbed her pear phone ," did Andre call while I was in the shower ? I sent him a text this morning …"

" No," stated Trina ," don't you even want to tell Robbie ? He is your friend and the idiot wouldn't listen to me….don't you want to give Cat the edge here with the nerd ?"

Tori threw her a baffled look ." Give Cat a ..what ? Trina , I think you may still have a hang-over cause those girls never even met Robbie and if by some far fetched accident they noticed him all those years ago, Cat wasn't into him then '

" So they figured it out " replied Trina ," look I wasn't drunk, I am not hung-over and I know what I heard . See if I ever try to help you and your stupid loser friends ever again, Tori "

" We would actually really appreciate that, Trina "

" TORI "

" Why wont you give this a rest ? This is weird ..even for you "

" Look, I know that your friends don't like me ," stated a serious Trina ,' and I don't actually care except for Cat. She has always been nice to me ….Tori, she is my friend . Even I can tell she is in love with Robbie and this affects her ….."

Tori managed a sigh and gave in ," Fine , I will see how I can bring it up to Cat "

" Robbie needs to dump that skanky gank he is with " reminded Trina .

" I know but I cant make Robbie do something if he doesn't want to ," Tori stared at her phone again," I don't understand why I still haven't heard from Andre . He always texts me before he picks me up…this isn't like him "

" Maybe he had to take his grandma somewhere like the doctors office and forgot to tell me …"

" Or he's avoiding you " added an annoyed Trina ," get your stuff , I can drive us to school "

Tori made a face ," I don't wanna …ride with you "

" Oh , don't be such a big baby ' said Trina ," it's five minutes down the street "

" Girls ," David Vega stepped in from the patio, a pizza box in hand ," the patio is not the place for your collection of empty ice cream cartons or pizza boxes ! "

" That was one time , Dad ! " defended Tori of the time she and her friends had been trying to win the Lichters Ice cream for a free Kesha concert contest . In their desperate search for the final letter , a lot of the empty carton trash had been thrown in garbage bags and tossed on the patio since the living room had been filled .

Trina sent her father a innocent smile . " I am over the whole fake Italian restaurant thing too "

" Well, I don't care whose pizza box it is ," replied David ," just clean it up next time "

He tossed the box away and headed up the stairs , leaving his daughters alone .

" I don't understand why Andre hasn't texted me back yet " whined Tori , starting to get worried ," I had the one last night from him at seven but he sounded fine "

" Bug out over your boyfriend on the way to school cause we're leaving now "

" Arg "

Robbie had gotten to school early hoping for a chance to talk to Cat in private . He had been inside his own head since his date with Roxanne last night and had came to several realizations about himself . She had been tipsy and he felt as if the time hadn't been right to do what he needed to do, what he should have done a month ago .

He felt it would have been worse to break up with Roxie while she was inebriated so he was going to end it with her after their Karaoke Dokee evening .

That way he would have more time to prepare how to actually break up with her .

Arms wrapped around his waist and Cat pressed her face against his neck.

" Guess who, Robbie ?"

" Good morning , sweetheart " Robbie caught her hands, turned her around and hugged her to him , " I missed you, Cat "

Cat hugged him, tightly . " I really missed you, Robbie "

Her voice was soft and a hint of sadness resonated in her voice ," I almost called you last night but I knew you were busy ..at the party "

Concern etched across his face and he tilted her chin up to gaze into those wide , brown eyes he loved so much . " You know you can call me anytime, Cat , and I will be there for you. Did something happen last night ? What's the matter ?"

Cat pressed her lips together , thinly . " Nothing ," muttered Cat , hesitating ," I think my brother is immune to his new special medicine again . He got a little ..angry last night and Mom was helping her work with that fancy party thing so I was with him…."

" Cat , " asked Robbie , worried about her ," what happened , sweetie ?"

" Steven just got ..upset but it was ..fine ," Cat's voice wavered a bit but she steeled it ," I handled it like an adult . My brother loves me, and I know he has ..problems but he would never hurt me …"

"Cat, I wish you would have called me ," stated Robbie ," I would have came right over "

" I know you would have but I didn't want to ask you to leave your girlfriend ….."

She averted her gaze, wishing she was the type of girl who could be mean and demanding but it just wasn't in her . Even though Jade had tried to help her with it .

" Cat, about Roxanne and I …" started a nervous Robbie ," I …I want you to know that I told her that I care about you "

Cat moved into his arms , a hopeful expression on her face ," I care about you too "

" I know ," went on Robbie ," and I am going to end things with Roxanne very soon. I am just waiting for the right moment but I don't want you to think you're the rebound girl or that I expect anything from you . I wouldn't expect for you to want to just jump into a relationship with me ..if that is something ..you might want "

His stomach turned over in knots . " Or if you decided I'm still gross, I would totally understand considering everything that has happened with us lately "

Cat slid her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his .

" Do you want to know what I want , Robbie ?"

" Yes "

" A relationship with you would make me very happy " confided Cat , kissing him ever so softly .

" Me too " muttered Robbie , kissing the shell of her ear ," I mean, us , Cat "

" So you don't think I am a terrible person for wanting us to be together when you still have a girlfriend ?" asked Cat, under her lashes .

" No, I would never think that about you " assured Robbie , holding her waist .

" Good " smiled cat, resting her head against his shoulder as he held her .

Sinjin noticed them and his gaze slid to Robbie . " Teach me your ways , Robbie "

" Wouldn't know what to tell you, Sinjin " called Robbie , honestly .

" I think you should not be so gross with the chewed up food , Sinjin ," says Cat, simply," girls think that is disgusting . Also you should keep being nice to Trina …"

Sinjin's face lit up ," Thanks, Cat ! "

Skipping happily, Sinjin headed down the hall for some breakfast and coffee .

" Where is he ," Tori growled impatiently as she paced in front of her locker ," I have texted him at least ..14 times this morning. Andre has never not answered me….what if he was in an accident with his grandma ? The woman doesn't do well in a car ….maybe I should check with the hospital "

Beck took a drink of his coffee. " I think your overreacting a bit, Tori. Maybe Andre just overslept …it happens . Didn't it happen the last time his grandma was freaking over the air conditioner kicking on ? Its probably something like that ..you should calm down "

Tori whirled on her friend ." One time since I have known him has that happened , Beck ! "

Just as the panic was beginning to settle and hit Tori squarely in the gut , Andre hit the stairs , automatically noticing Tori with Beck by her locker and felt a punch in the gut all over again . He had been hoping his wonk would settle so they could talk but all he felt was the anger and the hurt blending together and overflowing from his wonky .

" There he is now, Tori " pointed out Beck as Andre wandered down to the locker .

" Andre ! There you are ," Tori rushed at him and wrapped an arm around his neck," I was completely freaking out ! Is your phone not working ? I have been texting you all morning and then you never picked me up…Oh God, is it your Grandma ?"

Andre removed her arm and took a step back. " Grandma is fine "

" Did your car break down ? Cause I have time during study hall to check it out ,dude " offered Beck, who did a lot of tinkering with vehicles .

Andre set his jaw and felt the tick there . " Nothings wrong with my car ," said Andre , bitingly ," funny I should find you two hanging and chilling together this morning . Thought you were pretty bummed over Jade still, man "

" Tori and I were actually discussing that ," told Beck, " think I am going to try to talk to Jade about us . Really talk to her about everything and hope she hasn't been sharpening her new scissors since the last time I tried to talk to her ….."

Andre bit the inside of his mouth . " Really , so, now your telling me you want Jade back ..after ," blurted out Andre ," after you decided to use all your slick Canadian ways on my girlfriend ! "

Tori gasped and Beck let out a groan .

" Andre ! Oh my God, how do you know ..about that ? Unless …..unless ..oh no, you brought the pizza that was on the patio " realized Tori, her heart sinking in her chest with dread ," you have to let me explain cause it wasn't what it seemed "

" Seemed like my girl and my best friend were kissing on the couch " accused Andre

" I was helping him with Jade ," swore a desperate Tori , clutching at his arm ," I swear, Andre, that is all it was . I mean, okay, we kissed but it was an accident …."

" She isn't lying ," replied a seemingly calm Beck, " I was working through my feelings for Jade when I sort of …forgot I was talking to Tori "

" Forgot ? Dude , I saw you with my own two eyes ," anger coursed through Andre's veins at the casualness of his friends attitude ," you honestly gonna stand there and tell me your lips just fell onto Tori's ? You hit on my girlfriend ! "

" It was a mistake , Andre ," insisted Beck, trying to make him understand ," you have every right to be pissed at me but it was all me . I was dealing with all this Jade stuff and I lost it, Tori just happened to be there ….."

" He isn't lying , Dre ," Tori pleaded ," he loves Jade still and I love you . It meant nothing ….I swear, Andre , there isn't anything between me and Beck "

" That's what you told Cat when she was with Daniel ," tossed out a hurt Andre , wanting to hurt her like he was ," if I seem to recall you still kissed the dude "

Tears sprang into her eyes at his harsh words . " Andre ! Noooo, please, I know that you are upset but if you would just calm down and let me explain it better you will see that I ..Beck and I are telling you the truth "

" I think I have loved you since the first time I saw you , Tori ," Andre's voice was tinged with hurt and bitterness ," and you, Beck, I trusted you. You were supposed to be my best friend ….I don't deserve this chizz "

He removed tori's hand and wouldn't look at her , effectively crushing her in the windpipe and heart to. " We're through ..I'm done with the both of you "

" Don't say that, man "

" Andre , you .you cant break up with me " pleaded Tori, silently crying , watching as he all but ran down the hall towards the Black Box theater ," Andre , pl-ease ! "

Andre had already disappeared and Tori felt completely helpless .

" Beck, do something ! He's full of wonky that we caused ….I …he broke up with me "

Cried Tori, sniffling back the tears and trying to think of how to fix this mistake ," it was a bad , bad mistake ! We ..we have to make him understand that ! He's in the bad wonky place again …..that isn't good "

Beck blew out a breath and nodded . " Let me try to talk to him. It's my fault in the first place, Tori "

" He thinks we betrayed him , Beck . Andre hates that more than anything ! Hates it "

" I know …." Beck gave her shoulder a squeeze and went off to search for Andre .

Tori was fighting crying when she noticed that Jade was standing there, watching her , and dread realization smacked her in the face .

" J-aaaade ," managed Tori, her voice cracking , slightly ," eh, how long have you been standing there ..where you are ?"

Jade took a sip of her coffee. " A while ," answered Jade , her lips twisting in a semi sneer ," long enough to hear what was going on between you and Andre "

Gulp.

Tori felt the lump in her throat grow bigger and clogging with new apprehension .

" You heard ," muttered Tori, wearily ," so, you don't want to hit ..you know, me ?"

She lifted her book as if to protect herself ," Or dump your hot coffee all over me "

Jade smirked slightly . " No "

" Beck and I…..we kissed " brought up Tori, wanting to be honest here ," it ..it was all wrong . So, why aren't you mad ?"

Jade stepped closer to keep their conversation between them. " About you and Beck kissing ," repeated a resigned Jade ," no. It has happened before ….and I actually always sort of expected it to happen again "

Tori made a face, not understanding . " You weren't too happy about it before , if I remember correctly "

That first week at Hollywood Arts, Tori had been convinced that Jade was going to kill her . Actually she had felt like that at times and often during the last couple years but somewhere between the mutual dislike of each other , some sort of friendship had occurred between them. It was rough and shaky and weird but they were sort of friends now and she didn't want them to go back to the whole hating thing again .

" No, I wasn't ," admitted a quiet Jade ," I was insecure about a lot of things …back then "

Tori ducked , expecting Jade to dump the coffee and was surprised when she punched her arm, playfully instead . " What ? "

Jade let out a small laugh . The break up and their anniversary had been taking a toll on her so hard and in the worse possible ways . Last night , Jade had spent many hours crying and thinking hard about her whole relationship with Beck.

She had come to her own truths about herself and about them

.

Now she just had to be honest with Beck about them .

" I know your crazy about Andre ," went on Jade ," God, you know , before Beck and I broke up, it didn't matter anymore . My jealousy over you. I mean, the girls being all over him were annoying " She made a disgusted face ," They still annoy me but somewhere inside …I just ..I knew . I knew that I didn't have to worry because in the end …he was meant for me . That is why this whole break up has been so hard ..it is hard for the both of us . I know this has been hard for Beck too, even though he would never admit it . Its hard because somewhere inside I still believe that Beck is meant for me "

Tori was stunned and touched . " Wow , Jade , that's so…sweet "

Jade shared a smile with her . " Don't get used to it," quipped the dark haired young woman ," they must have slipped something in my coffee "

" Are you going to talk to Beck ?" asked Tori ," your not the only one who has been thinking , you know . He's really torn up over you and him plus he misses you ..'

" That's the plan ," told Jade , taking a drink of her coffee ," unless Andre kills him "

" Andre wont kill him, " said an anxious Tori, worriedly ," I hope not. I mean , this is the worse thing that could ever happen , Jade , but I cant believe that he wouldn't believe me ."

" Hope this chizz doesn't bring back the old jealousy thing with Beck and Andre "

Tori lifted a brow ," What are you talking about ? Those two are best friends , jade '

" It's different with dudes ," explained Jade ," sure the guys are pals but Beck is like the perfect dude . There was an incident a couple years ago - before you were here -and Beck and I had only been together like a month or so …"

" Jade ," shouted Tori," point "

" There was a girl that they were both into ," continued Jade ," there was some anger . Some jealousy from Andre …this probably brings all that chizz around again "

Tori groaned and sent her a scathing look. " That doesn't make me feel better "

" I'm sure you and Andre will be fine " replied Jade in her fake southern accent ," once he forgives you for kissing my ex-boyfriend "

" I don't talk like that ! I thought you said that you weren't mad ? Jade ! "

" Relax, Tori, its fine ," reassured Jade , with a slight half smile ," I couldn't help it "

Just then they noticed Robbie and Cat walking close together down the hall, talking and looking every inch like they were a couple in love .

" Aw, they really do look adorable together " commented Tori , glad for the distraction ," do you think they got together ..maybe ?"

Jade glanced at their friends then back at Tori . " Doubt it ," answered Jade ," besides Cat would be dying to tell us if she and Rob were finally together . I figure they are both just done with pretending and hiding how they feel ….they are pretty disgusting '

" Yeah ," agreed Tori ," we need to give them the shove "

" I don't do matchmaking chizz ," remarked Jade," but there has gotta be something …"

" Andre , dude ," Beck found his friend sitting on the floor of the Black Box, his portable keyboard at his feet , and anger radiating off of his entire body ," we have got to talk "

Andre slammed his hands down on the keys drowning him out. " I have nothing to say to you," informed Andre ," why don't you try to lay one on Cat now ? Cause you know Robbie is in love with her …you were always good at being the dude who could steal all the pretty girls away "

Beck bent and stared him down ." It was one time ! Before Jade and you weren't exactly dating her so don't be throwing that waz in my face, Harris "

Andre set his jaw ." I love Tori more than I have ever loved any girl before . How could you do that to me , man ? Thought we were friends , thought we respected each others ..you never saw me chasing after jade "

" We are friends ," Beck was rational ," I know it looked bad but you didn't hear what happened. I have been fighting all of my feelings for Jade since we broke up and then with it being our anniversary I realized how much I still want her …Tori was pushing me about admitting that I still loved Jade and things got whacked . I never meant to kiss Tori! She and I are just friends …."

" Last time I checked Tori isn't Jade "

" Look it was all my fault ," went on Beck, trying to make him see reason ," it was a mistake . A horrible mistake but it meant nothing because Tori and I will never be more than friends and we're good with that. Tori loves you, man "

" If she loves me that much , she wouldn't have kissed you back " stated Andre, sharply ," I know what I saw. I also feel strongly that since you obviously have no problems kissing your friends girlfriends then you and I cant be friends, dude '

Beck groaned and dragged a hand trhough his hair ." Its not like that ! You want to just toss our friendship in the garbage over this misunderstanding ? Andre, we have been friends since we were little kids and this is nuts . Your just not thinking clearly …so, I should just shut up and let you deal on your own. "

" I love Jade …that's what I realized when I kissed Tori . Think I knew it when I tried being with Kyra but I was being hard headed ….think about that "

" I'm done talking with you about this, Oliver . Go find another bro to hang out with ," tossed out Andre ," and don't be making Robbie choose sides "

" Talk to Tori, at least , hear her out " Beck tried one more time .

" We're through here so leave …." ordered Andre , hardening his heart and thinking that the Black Box wasn't far enough to run away from his crushed heart and rage .

Skipping school was sounding better and better .


	19. Chapter 19

Tori.

Andre's mind was full of Tori and it felt as if his brain was going to explode with his heart from thinking and freaking too much about her .

The girl had called him 10 times last night, sent him 33 text messages which he hadn't even bothered to read, and even had Robbie call him to check up on him.

Skipping school yesterday hadn't been the smartest thing he had ever done but it had been the easiest, most effective way to avoid her and Beck.

Though he was probably going to catch some hell and a lecture from both Lane and his Grandma for the whole ditching school thing .

His Grandma would have her not so crazy days when he was wonky in the head.

Which was why he was back to school today and had managed to successfully avoid Tori most of the day except now it was lunch . That was going to be much more difficult .

Which was why he was hanging back near Jet brew so he could watch Tori get her lunch from Festus before he even thought about grabbing a sandwich himself , not that he had much of an appetite but it would give him something to do.

Tori could be pretty damn persistent . When he wouldn't look at her in World Art, she had sent Sinjin over to him with a handful of notes and some begging .

Andre was trying not to notice how tired she looked or the fact that she wore her bummed out clothes to school- those skin-tight sweats and a baseball shirt .

Well, why shouldn't she be bummed ? He had broken up with her .

Tori kissed Beck .

The freaking rumor mill around Hollywood Arts hadn't helped him either nor did the texts he received from Jade, Cat, and Robbie, who he knew were only trying to help.

He didn't know if he wanted to be around his friends yet .

Andre was contemplating turning around and heading to the store for some chocolate beverage when he noticed something that distracted him from his own turmoil- Cat had her arms around Robbie's neck and they were kissing in the corner of the hall .

Cat was going to get her hurt on cause Robbie was being a complete wazbag !

He was about to interrupt them when Sinjin approached him. " Hey Andre …."

Andre glared at him," I don't have any messages for you to give to Tori, Sinjin . If I wanted to talk to her, I'd go talk to her …."

Sinjin nodded ," Please hurry up and forgive her , Andre, she thinks I'm her personal assistant which isn't bad except that I am trying to get Trina ,not Tori "

Andre laughed ," If I were you, Sinjin, I would steer clear of the Vega sisters"

" I was afraid you would never actually want to kiss me ..like this, Cat "

Cat kissed him, sweetly ." You are silly, Robbie "

Robbie smiled lovingly at her . " You never wanted to ..before "

" I wasn't so smart then , Robbie ," reassured Cat, her eyes bright and warm ," but that was a long time ago. I am much smarter now ….though I really wish you would break up with Roxanne . I don't want us to have to sneak around …and I don't want to pretend anymore … we have feelings for each other "

Robbie kissed her knuckles, gently ." I've tried calling her since this morning ," admitted Robbie ," but I just keep getting her voice mail. This is Roxie's social hour ..last time I called her during lunch, she got mad at me and I don't want to be the jerk who breaks up with her by text , email, or voicemail ."

" Have I ever told you, Robbie, that I like how thoughtful you are ?"

" No, but, you are the thoughtful one, Cat " stated Robbie, tenderly ," you are always so sweet and generous . I love how you always see the best in people …in me "

Cat stood on her toes to press a lingering kiss against the side of his mouth .

" You are handsome, sweet, funny, and nice , Robbie "

" I know we haven't made anything official till you break up with Roxanne but I don't think it would hurt to tell Jade about us " continued Cat , holding onto him," besides I think she caught us holding hands earlier in Sikowitz class "

" Whatever you want ," agreed Robbie ," as long as Jade doesn't think I'm stringing you along or anything , Cat. I don't want her to cut me …."

" Jade just says that ," assured Cat , matter of fact ," she wouldn't actually cut you . "

Then she noticed Andre talking to Sinjin ," oh lookey, there is Andre . I am going to go talk to him about Tori….you know , she hasn't slept since he broke up with her "

" Okay ," said Robbie, letting go of her ," I'll go see if Festus has those strawberries on the menu today for you. You want an iced water or a soda, sweetie ?"

" Oh, a tea would be good " decided Cat ," save me a seat "

Robbie couldn't resist sending her the loopy grin and headed to buy lunch .

" I couldn't be happier …"

Cat made a beeline for Andre ." Andre ! " She launched herself at him, giving him a hug ," are you hiding from us? Robbie tried to talk to you in history but you just took off….are you alright ? "

" Tori and Beck kissed , Cat ," snapped Andre ," no, I am not alright "

Cat frowned and considered everything that Tori had explained . " I know it must have been horrible to see ," says Cat, trying to help," but it was a misunderstanding . I know that Tori loves you…you should talk to her and work this out, Andre "

" I don't want to talk to Tori ," retorted Andre ," and you want to know what I think ?"

" Whatee ?"

" I think that you should worry about your own freaking love life instead of mine, Cat ," retorted Andre ,his own anger in the situation directing towards the little redhead ," you need to stop hanging all over Robbie. You two aren't a couple ! He has a girlfriend and pretty sure Roxanne would feel as bad as I feel right now if she knew you were going around acting all lovey with her boyfriend !"

Tears sprang to Cat's eyes as her own feelings surfaced quickly . " Andre , it isn't like that, at all ! I am in love with Robbie ! I fell in love with him and why ..why would you say that to me? I was only trying to be your friend, Andre ! "

Andre immediately felt the sharp sting of regret once it registered what he had just accused Cat of and felt awful. " LIl Red , I'm sorry , I shouldn't have said that …"

But Cat hadn't stuck around to hear it , he watched as she ran smack into Robbie's arms .

" Cat , sweetheart, what's the matter ? Why are you crying ?" asked a concerned Robbie

Cat buried her face in his shoulder ." Andre thinks I'm ..worse than a ..gank "

Robbie felt his jaw tighten and pressed a kiss against Cat's hair . " No, he doesn't ," reassured Robbie ," Andre is just mad at Tori . He never meant to ….I will go and have a word with Andre "

" I was just trying to help , Robbie ," expressed Cat, the tears subsiding ," Andre and Tori are both my friends . I know she isn't in love with Beck ….you guys can be so blind sometimes . I just don't understand …."

" Blind and stupid " agreed Robbie, thinking of himself as well, " it's a guy thing . Why don't you go have lunch with Tori and Jade , I'll join you after I have spoken with Andre "

" Yes " Cat kissed his cheek and ran to the familiar table at the Asphalt café .

" Andre "

A pit dropped in Andre's stomach as he turned to face his friend ." Robbie "

" I am sorry about you and Tori ," started Robbie , evenly ," I know that had to suck. I also know that you aren't real keen on all the stupid things I have done wrong in my own relationships but I am rectifying that real soon. "

" Rob," Andre held up a hand ," don't start , dude . Not in the mood to hear it …"

" Well you are going to hear it ," continued Robbie ," you feel like taking your anger out on someone then take it out on me. Not Cat . She was trying to help you and you made her cry ! I am not going to let you do that to her …..you called her a gank ? How could you do that ? Cat is the sweetest girl on the planet and so not that….until you get your wonk under control, you stay away from Cat "

You are in love with Cat " noted Andre, taking the yelling with aplomb .

Robbie was just defending his girl and he had every right to , considering what he had said to her .

" Yes I am ," stated Robbie, wagging a finger at him ," so are you going to hit me now ?"

" Robbie , I am not going to hit you " groaned an exasperated Andre ," I will apologize to Cat later so you can chill down now .."

" Good " said a relieved Robbie , calming down ," so, uh, you want to talk about Tori ?"

" No " answered Andre and with one last glimpse towards their table , he headed back inside to escape this new kind of hell . Besides he had lost his appetite now .

Robbie made a beeline for their table and found that Beck had joined them .

No wonder Andre wasn't making any efforts to come and talk with Tori -awkward .

" Robbie …" Cat patted the seat beside her .

" Well, what did he say ?" demanded Tori, standing up and grabbing at Robbie's shirt, anxiously ," he is still wonky , isn't he ? Robbie , he talked to you the longest ….he even changed seats so he wouldn't have to sit with me in two classes today . You have to tell me what Andre said to you …I need to know "

" Tori, let go of Robbie " ordered Cat, not unkindly .

Robbie gently lifted Tori's hands from his shirt and urged her back down on the bench before taking his own place beside Cat . " Andre really doesn't want to talk about it "

" I saw you talking to him, " said Tori, shrilly ," I know it wasn't about the freaking weather , Robbie Shapiro ! I want to know what he said to you …NOW "

" He is still really angry with you, Tori " brought up Robbie as Cat played with his hand .

He sent her a special smile then returned his gaze back to his friend , who wasn't doing much better than Andre . " I mainly told him not to be rude to Cat . "

He gave her a sheepish smile ," Andre just needs time to cool down , I think "

" Robbie ," said an exasperated Tori ," you are telling me NOTHING! Andre and I have never not talked before …he's never been mad at me before . I know I deserve it but still …..he should know better "

Jade took a drink of her water and slid a look towards Beck, who had sat beside her .

" Tori," pointed out Jade , obviously ," you knew Andre would be wazzed off "

" Yea but I never thought he would break up with me , Jade ," tossed out Tori, pushing her French fries away ," I thought if we just talked , we could get through this . How can we talk if he wont even answer my chizzin texts ? See….I just sent him 3 more and he ignores me "

" Andre will come around ," spoke Beck, calmly ," he isn't speaking to me either but he cant stay angry long . He hasn't since I have known him….I think we need to give him some space …"

" I don't think space is a good idea at all ," moaned Tori ," I hate everything "

She buried her face in her hands and shook her head , deflated and depressed .

Jade considered a comment for the fun of it but decided against it . Maybe it would be helpful if she talked to Andre , she had a feeling that she might be able to help .

Not that she was going to volunteer this information to Vega .

" I'm gonna go now …." declared Jade , rising and turning to head back into school .

" Jade , wait a minute " Beck caught up with her , catching her arm, " uh, you haven't said much about ..what happened ? You already threaten to bury Tori and just not feel the need to mention it ….cause kind of surprised you haven't came after me next "

Jade 's blue eyes held his own and a small smile curved around her red lips .

" No need to beat around the bush , Beck," stated Jade , her heart beating fast in her chest at his nearness ," it isn't some huge secret you and Tori kissed . I heard when it happened ..and Tori and I already had a little chat …"

" Why are you not wanting my blood or hers ?" questioned Beck, quietly .

" Well, I'm still not crazy about the whole thought of you and Tori ," admitted an honest Jade ," but I don't see that you are together . " She heaved a tired sigh ," I also know Vega is crazy over Andre and I am ..maybe a little happy that she looks gross today "

Her smile took the harshness from her words ." Now I am the one who doesn't want to argue anymore and not over this ..it happened , Beck "

" It shouldn't have happened …cause I was the one that messed up " told Beck

" You messed up ? The always perfect Beck Oliver admits he did wrong ?"

His lips twisted into a smile of his own ," I'm not that perfect, Jade "

" I know …um, I have something to do " managed Jade , reluctantly .

" Right so can I , maybe , text you ? " asked a hesitant Beck, who felt as he had so long ago when he had just begun persuading Jade .

" Sure …" agreed Jade, letting out a breathe.

Guess she and Beck were back to really trying to be in each others lives again .

Music drifted out into the hallway , a really messed up combination of songs Andre had written over the years mingling with his wonk , and sounding super freaky .

" Thought I might find you in here " Jade wandered in the room to find Andre at the keyboard , a pained expression on his face ," You know , I heard that you made Cat cry "

Andre looked up at her ." I know , Jade, I know that I am a bad person ! Robbie already told me off ! You got your scissors with you to finish me off ? Go on now , cut out my heart ! I'll let you do it, Jade "

Jade laughed slightly and set down . " Tempting as that is, Andre, I'll pass on that for the moment . "

He sent her a strange look," Since when don't you want to cut someone ? I'm giving you a freebie ..shed some of my blood , Jade . Might make me feel more pain that I do the rage …I could use that right now "

Jade patted his hand and got serious ." Andre , do you know what this reminds me of ?"

" NO "

" How can it not ? Come on, Andre, it wasn't that long ago " remarked Jade

" Why are you bringing this up, Jade ," asked Andre , running his hands through his dreads ," that was a long, long time ago . Nothing happened between us and we agreed never to bring it up again ..so push it back down somewhere "

" We almost kissed four years ago, Andre " reminded Jade , softly .

" JADE , stop it ! You weren't dating Beck then ," shot back Andre ," we never kissed . It was an almost kiss …and this is completely different from what went down with Tori and Beck "

Jade raised a brow ." Really ? How is it that much different ?"

" Its way different because we never let the kiss happen ," told Andre , " Beck wasn't there either . Dude didn't have to watch what almost happen not happen…like me watching him and Tori kiss . He doesn't even know about what didn't happen with us ….'

" You never told him "

" Come on, Jade, don't give me that," argued Andre , getting annoyed at her ," I know you never told him either . It was a long time ago and it didn't matter ..you know it wasn't a big thing, girl "

" Oh, I know ," Jade pointed out the obvious ," it didn't mean anything . It was just an attraction between us …..didn't mean enough for us to be making it everything ..like you're doing right now with Tori and Beck "

" Jade ," sighed Andre ," I thought you'd be on my side here . Cant you be wazzed off at them both with me ? "

" Gets tiring being wazzed off all the time ," said Jade ," and you know , Beck would get bored with Tori in a week "

" Tori is not boring " Andre felt himself defending her ," oh man, stop playing with my head like that. I don't know if I want to talk to her, I keep seeing her kissing him over and over and over ..I cant stand it "

" That does make me want to puke " agreed Jade , putting a hand on his arm," look, Tori hasn't slept since you broke up with her. Normally I would enjoy torturing her but its just so sad …even I cant do it "

" Beck and I also had a conversation today ," expressed jade , wearily ," felt real, for a change . "

" Dude broke the bro code , Jade ," retorted Andre , less angry now ," still not going to forgive the dude right off . I don't care if that makes me a hypocrite , you and Beck weren't a couple yet and we never actually locked lips so its still different "

" Talk to Tori " declared Jade , firmly ," I don't really care if you forgive her or not but talk to her cause you two not talking is the kind of pain I don't enjoy . "

" I'll think about it ….Not making any promises though "

" Good ," Jade made for the door to leave ," and cut Robbie and Cat some slack, they are in love and are hilarious "

" Thanks, Jade " called Andre, opening his pear phone and staring at Tori's beautiful face . Still not in the forgiving mood but thinking a bit more clear than he had been , he opened up the first text message from her and begin to read .

Might not hurt to see what the girl had to say for herself .

" So my life sucks ," brought up Tori as she and Cat walked to class together ," but why do you and Robbie seem different today ?"

Cat blushed ," I don't think Robbie and I act different . Though I do really like that dark blue shirt on him…he looks handsome "

Tori rolled her eyes ," Fine , don't tell me , Cat , I can see with my own two eyes that you two cant keep your hands or your eyes off of each other anymore "

Cat giggled and smiled , prettily . " Robbie and I are in love but he hasn't broken up with Roxanne yet so we're trying to keep quiet . Its really difficult though, Tori, and you look upset. I'm sorry ..your sad so I shouldn't talk about how much I love Robbie "

Tori sighed, wistful ." No, Cat, its fine ," reassured Tori ," I am glad you and Robbie are happy together . Its not your fault that I'm sad ..I deserve the lumps for kissing Beck back "

" Please don't kiss Robbie ," muttered Cat ," I think you might have a little problem Tori about kissing other boys that you shouldn't …."

Tori considered being offended then let it sit. It wasn't worth it and she knew Cat hadn't meant anything about it ." Robbie is safe , I promise , I have no intention of kissing him"

" Oh, that is a relief " sighed Cat as her phone went off . Thinking it might be Robbie , she answered without looking ," Hi "

" Cat , about time ! I have been texting you forever ….are you still mad at me ? Cause it has been years and I thought you might have forgiven me by now "

Cat stopped and stared at the phone , upon realizing who it was . " Daniel "

" Good , you still recognize my voice " joked Daniel," I have been thinking a lot about you lately, Cat . I thought I'd see how you would feel about hanging out with me ..maybe watching a movie ?"

" I'm sorry, Daniel, but I don't think so ," says Cat ," I'm not mad or anything . We've been broken up for a long time but I don't want to go out with you "

Daniel paused and set his jaw. " We were real good together, Cat "

" I am in love with someone else , Daniel ," says Cat, honestly ," that is why I never answered your texts. "

" Your with someone else ?" repeated Daniel, as red began to surface within him .

" I am ," says Cat , " I'm sorry but I need to get to class . Byee "

She hung up the phone and found Tori staring at her . " Danny asked you out again ?"

Cat played with her bracelet around her wrist. " Yes , I guess he didn't get the point when I didn't answer all of his texts. I feel sort of bad that I had to tell him I wasn't interested …but I'm not . The whole thing was really weird "

" That is weird " agreed Tori as her own phone went off alerting her off a text.

She glanced down at the screen and hope leaped in her throat . " Oh my God , Cat, it's from Andre ! "

" Answer him, Tori " urged an excited Cat, bouncing on her toes .

Tori reread the text again to herself .

**Think we need to talk but not here .**

Coming **over to your house after school cool ? **

**Tori **gulped and typed quickly ' yes '

" Tori, what does he say ? You are killing me….Andre was really mad earlier "

" He wants to talk , Cat " muttered a scared Tori ," he wants us to talk "

" That is a good thing ," Cat grabbed onto her arm ," maybe he really did listen to Robbie, after all . I have a good feeling about this, Tori. I just know once you explain how the kiss happened, Andre will understand and want to make up with you "

" I hope you are right , Cat , but I am afraid " worried Tori, staring at his picture on her phone ," afraid that he really wont want that "

Tori was a nervous wreck and a bundle of nerves as she changed into a pair of jeans and a teal blue shirt , ran a brush through her hair , and raced down the stairs to wait for Andre. She had resisted texting him again and threatened Trina with life if she even considered interrupting them .

She had warned all of her friends that no one was to text her for two hours .

She had no clue what she was going to say to him but she would figure it out when he got here . Maybe she should make him some mashed potatoes - he liked potatoes when he was upset. Or maybe it was more of a Belgium cocoa thing ?

Or maybe they needed her parents wine instead ?

Tori sprawled across the couch, glanced at the clock on her phone, and waited .

Maybe she should play Grumpy Gerbils though she doubted she could concentrate on anything besides Andre .

The door sounded and Tori was up, swinging the door open . " Andre "

He stood nervously in the doorway where he had stood hundreds of time before , hands stuffed in his pockets , and lifted his eyes to hers . " Can I come in ?"

" You know you don't have to ask …" laughed Tori, nervously as he entered the living room , tension hanging in the air along with the nervousness between them .

Both of them hated it but it was still there .

" Thought maybe I should …" said Andre , uncertainty in his voice ," I'm really emotional right now , just so you know "

" I can make the cocoa ," Tori started for the kitchen ," it always helps "

" Why did you kiss Beck back ? " Andre's voice broke ," am I not enough for you ? "

Her face fell instantly and she turned around , pleading ." I don't know why I did it, " admitted Tori ," I don't ….he was talking about his feelings for Jade then the next thing I know we're kissing . I didn't plan to..I wasn't going to ..I didn't want to ..I don't want Beck. I have never wanted Beck….never "

Andre bit the inside of his mouth. " Not even a little ?"

" maybe I thought about it once or twice when I first met him but Andre, no," swore a passionate Tori ," its you that I want to be with . I love you "

She tried to reach for him but he moved away from her . " I think I pushed you too fast about us getting together as a couple…you had doubts "

" For all of five minutes, Andre ," insisted Tori, trying to make him believe ," you didn't push me into doing anything . I never lied once when I told you that I loved you..because it is true "

" I love you too but this has got me doing some thinking ," admitted Andre, his heart pounding loudly in his eardrums ," maybe you wouldn't have been so quick to kiss Beck if we were still friends . So, I think maybe it would be for the best if we just went back to the whole friends thing …"

Tori couldn't speak and felt the blood rush straight to her head ," No "

" I know it wont be easy but I think friends I can manage with you again , Tori "

" I cant , Andre ," Tori moved in to hug him ," I don't want us to go backwards . "

Andre resisted the urge to hold her and press his lips to hers and pulled her away from him. . " Let go, Tori ," said Andre, though his heart was finished breaking ," we were friends before we got involved . Think it's the only way to salvage this …whatever this is left between us "

" I am so sorry, Andre ," begged Tori, " please, give us another chance ? Give me another chance , I love you and I love us "

" I'm sorry but my mind is made up about this ," declared Andre ," so I don't think us hanging out right now might not be such a good idea . I just wanted to, you know, clear the air and see if you were cool with the us going back to friends thing "

" Friends, sure " managed Tori, knowing from the finality in his tone that he meant it .

She would have to accept it . For now .

" I'll ..see you later, I guess " Andre let himself out , closing the door behind him.

He stared at the door , listening as her sob finished him off, before going to his car.

Tori was crushed and heartbroken and the pain hit her squarely in the gut . She had lost her best friend and oh, it hurt . They could never go back to just friends .

She knew , she knew it wouldn't be the same, it didn't even feel the same .

It was all wrong and all her fault .

" Tori , what's the matter ?" Trina heard her sisters heart wrenching sobs from the stairs so she had decided it was safe to come down and check on her .

Tori lifted her gaze ," I ruined everything, Trina "

" Andre didn't forgive you " assumed Trina, putting her arms around her baby sister.

" He wants us to go back to friends ," sobbed Tori, shaking her head,' he …..he doesn't want us anymore . It will never be the same anymore …I know it wont "

" Andre is just hurting ," Trina brushed her hair back, " I know you are hurting too. It was a pretty nasty thing that went down so maybe you should just take the friend thing super slow , honey, and give him some time. I know he loves you …"

" My heart hurts too, Trina "

" I know , I know ," Trina hugged her ," let it all out, Tori., and things probably wont be better right off but he still wants you in his life . You can work with that …."

" I hope so …I really hope so " murmured Tori, crying on her shoulder .

" I know that you don't always listen to me , Tori ," stated Trina , kindly ," but maybe you should cause I am right about this. Don't push, Andre, and tiny , baby steps with him from now on and in time I know in my heart that you two will get back together "

" You think so ?" asked a hopeful Tori, praying her sister was right .

" Oh, I know so , Tori " declared Trina and did something she hadn't done since they were little, she allowed her sister to cry on her and she did the big sister thing comforting her and showing her that she loved her too .

If this didn't work out then Andre Harris would have one Trina Vega to deal with .

"


	20. Chapter 20

Robbie picked up his room, tidying a bit before ,Cat came over . They were going to watch another movie for Sikowitz's romance assignment and spend time together .

He had still not heard from Roxanne and felt a bit nervous about it.

He had sent her a couple text messages , resisting the urge to do the one thing he didn't want to do , which was send her a text ending their relationship .

Rex stared at him from his spot on the bed, taunting him.

" You are an idiot, Robbie . Dumping a hot North Ridge girl for the redhead is the stupidest thing you have ever done …you are just another distraction for the ditz "

" I am not, " shouted Robbie , huffily ," Cat is everything to me. She cares about me too and you'd better can it about talking bad about her , Rex "

" You are a fool for believing her. You aren't the redheads type, Rob " said Rex

" Shut up, Rex, I don't want to hear it! You don't know everything about me ! "

" I know enough to try to fix your nerdy ass , Shapiro "

Before Robbie could respond, the door opened and Cat flew into his arms .

" Robbie ! " Cat wound her arms around him and pressed tiny kisses against his lips," sorry I'm late but I made you chocolate chip cookies "

Robbie kissed her, tenderly. " You made me ..cookies ?"

" Yes," answered Cat , hugging his neck ," you are always surprising me with sweet things so I wanted to let you know that I listen too . You do still like chocolate chip cookies , right ? "

" My favorite " admitted Robbie ,touched by her gesture ," that was sweet of you, Cat "

" You are very welcome " Cat nuzzled against his neck, " who were you yelling at ?"

Robbie winced ," Rex but its okay, he isn't going to bother us "

Cat frowned and sent the puppet a disgusted look. " He isn't going to spy on us. Is he, Robbie ? I want us to cuddle without him making disgusting comments …."

" I promise Rex will be quiet " assured Robbie , leading her over to the sofa and they sat down together . He put his arm around her shoulder and Cat rested her head against him.

" Goody ," says Cat, entwining their fingers together ," I hope you don't mind but Tori figured out that we are..together "

" No, its fine ," told Robbie ," I actually figured she was too crazy over her problems with Andre to even pay any attention to us "

Cat smiled ," Guess we're noticeable "

" I have been trying to get a hold of Roxie but I don't understand why she isn't answering her phone ," admitted Robbie ," I want us to be together, Cat "

" I know you do ," says Cat, understanding ," and I believe you. Its okay, Robbie, if you have to wait until the weekend to end things with Roxie, I wont be mad "

" Even if people say things about us ? Sinjin must have taken a picture of us kissing because he posted it on the Slap ," brought up Robbie ," if Roxie sees it then she will be the one dumping me . I want to be with you so bad, Cat, but I know how the popularity thing goes and I am no football player or good looking dude …"

Cat silenced him with a kiss ," I love you, Robbie "

Robbbie sent her a rueful smile ." I love you too, Cat. "

" I love you with your glasses and your curly hair," declared Cat, running her hands through his curls ," and your funny songs . I love that you know me so well ….so I don't want to hear you putting yourself down anymore, Robbie "

" I can do that " agreed Robbie, feeling lighter and happier than he ever had before .

" So, Serendipity " brought up Cat ," I like the sound of that " She put the DVD in the player ," Fortunate accident … I think that's what we are "

" A lucky accident ? " asked Robbie, trying to follow her train of thought .

" Wasn't it an accident that you kissed me like you did instead of a stage kiss ? " inquired a very serious Cat ," you acted awfully nervous about it so I thought that it was meant to happen . You make my toes curl when you kiss me, Robbie "

" I did forget myself when I kissed you….." admitted Robbie," I am lucky I can think straight at all, Cat "

" You don't love Roxanne ? " asked Cat , wanting to be sure .

" Oh sweetie, I don't love her even a little ," confessed Robbie ," I tried but there is nothing there . You are in my heart, Cat Valentine "

Cat slipped her arms around him, kissing him crazily, dizzily, lovingly .

He wrapped his arms around her waist and returned her kisses eagerly . He never thought she would ever love him like this and now everything felt so right in their world .

" I love you, Robbie " murmured Cat , softly .

" I love you more " declared Robbie , wanting to tell her over and over how important and special that she was to him .

Just then their pear phones went off ruining the moment , they shared a look, Cat groaned and glanced for her purse . " We could just ignore whoever is calling ," says Cat with a pout as she toyed with the collar on his shirt ," except if its Roxanne, I really want for you to talk to her and break up with her "

" I know but if its any of our friends, I am killing them " joked Robbie, letting go of her to retrieve his phone off of the desk while she dug her pink per phone from her purse.

" It's Jade "

" Beck is texting me ," Robbie read the text ," he wants my take on the whole Andre and Tori thing …I don't know if I want to get involved in that "

" Beck's been texting Jade ," spoke up Cat, cutting through her best friends roundabout texts ," I think she might be nervous about them …I mean, her and Beck. She is still in love with him …she never fell out of love with him when they broke up "

" Do you need to go talk to her ? I would miss you but I know how close you and Jade are so I understand " replied Robbie, sending his own reply to his friend .

" No, Jade knows I am over here ," says Cat , her fingers moving over the keys," I think she just needs me to hint at her that she can be honest with Beck about missing him….."

" I just told Beck he should be truthful with Jade about his feelings,' stated Robbie, pleased ," I think that we are good at reading each other , Cat "

She put her phone down and pressed a kiss to his lips ," Me too so we should watch the movie ….and you are like Jonathon in this movie "

Robbie put his arms around her and they settled in to watch the romantic comedy .

" I don't see the resemblance actually " commented Robbie ," I look nothing like John Cusak "

Cat elbowed him,gently ." You are romantic and funny, Robbie . I know you would chase me all over town if you wanted to prove we are soul mates …."

" Okay, I would probably do that " conceded Robbie ," and for the record , fate has been sending me signs about you since I first met you, Cat "

" I might have ignored fate a few times before ," says Cat, enjoying being in his arms ," with you but we're not talking about the past . Though I get crazy jealous so I hope you are done crushing on Tori and Trina ….I know that you are but in case Tori being all sad makes you protective, I might get jealous "

" I gave those crushes up long time ago " told Robbie , glad that they could talk so easily about things between them .," were ..are you jealous of Roxanne ?"

" The gank who insults you ….yes ! I was so mad when you did whatever she wanted ….and I know it isn't very nice but I was jealous . I also never liked her "

" Good " replied Robbie, happily ," and you are impulsive, spontaneous, and much more beautiful than Kate Beckinsale in this movie , Cat "

Cat laughed and sent him a look. " I believe you but I have also heard you, Beck, and Andre talk about how hot she is , Robbie "

" I was making an observation "

**The universe is screwing with my head **

" Mhm ….right " Cat beamed up at him ," I feel guilty, Robbie . All of our friends are miserable and I am so happy …and maybe we should wait until you end things with Roxie . I don't really want to but even if she cares about you a little , she would be hurt because of me and you …."

Robbie let go of her and considered her fears . " If that is what you want, sweetheart, then its fine with me. I don't want you to be guilty or uncomfortable …we can just watch the movie "

Cat bit her lip, uncertain ." I don't know ….argh ! I am so sorry, Robbie, I just don't want anything between us . "

He understood how she felt - the urge to leave Roxie a voicemail was tempting .

I don't love you, I'm sorry but I am breaking up with you.

However, he didn't want to be that guy , that asshole and skunk bag .

" She hasn't answered my texts either ," sighed Robbie, impatiently ," which isn't like her . Even when I annoy her, Roxie texts me right back. I hope something isn't the matter …"

" Maybe North Ridge is cheating on you too, Rob " interjected Rex

" Oh " Cat shook her head , bothered ," this isn't right . I love you but maybe this isn't such a good idea .Me being here.. cause I want us to be couply and I feel like a bad girl and I ..I am not that . I thought I could be cool and it was okay at school but now its really difficult …."

" I know ," agreed a reluctant Robbie ," I think I should keep trying to get a hold of Roxie tonight . I don't think there was a North Ridge party but I can call some of the girls from there that I tutor , maybe I can find her and end things with her "

" Your not upset with me ?" asked Cat, placing her hands on his chest and gazing at him.

" No," answered Robbie , honestly ," of course not. "

Cat hugged him," I'll call you later and we can talk more "

Robbie kissed her nose ," You bet "

" Love you " Cat kissed his cheek, retrieved her purse, and after sending him a mournful look left his room. Things would be just perfect once everything was fixed .

She and Robbie would be together without anyone else involved and it would be perfect.

They would be just right .

Daren't all ! Why hadn't he just broken up with Roxanne after the party ?

He had wanted to but his conscience wouldn't let him because she had been drunk from all that high priced champagne she had drank. Now her presence stood awkwardly between his and Cat's happiness.

" You are crazy and mentally unstable, Robbie. Better think twice before dumping Roxanne for the ditzy redhead ….Cat could never really **love a loser like you. **

Have **you met yourself, Shapiro ? " **

**Robbie **glared at the puppet , who taunted him ." Shut up, Rex ! You don't know what you are talking about ! "

" **I know more than you..I know enough that do I have to remind you that Cat's record with the boyfriends are 2 weeks before she dumps them . What makes you think it will be any different with you ?" **

Robbie felt his chest tighten and automatically tensed up at the onslaught of insults .

" **You **don't know anything ….Cat and I are in love . That's what the difference is ,Rex . She wasn't in love with those other guys but she loves me ."

" You **will screw it up with her, Robbie, like you screw up everything else in your pathetic life . Hell, look at you ! You are nothing but a nerd ..you cant even keep the cool without my help " **

Robbie stared at himself in the mirror and knew he would never be as cool as Andre or Beck but maybe he wasn't supposed to be. Maybe he didn't need to be , maybe he was alright the way he was and there was nothing wrong with that .

**He tried **the whole straight hair and contacts and had felt like a fraud the whole time .

**It wasn't **who he was , he wasn't Robert .

**He **was Robbie and he was fine with that , with himself .

" I am not a screw up ! I have gotten along just fine without you for a couple of weeks , Rex, so I don't need to hear your crap right now "

" **Loser idiot moron suit you better, Rob. You wouldn't have gotten this far with North Ridge if I hadn't hooked you up with her …you think the redhead would have noticed you if it hadn't been about your new girlfriend . You ought to be tha**nking me **for giving you that much excitement " **

**Anger **gurgled and bubbled , years of insults and the ridiculing , the bullying , the break down of his insecurities and any confidence he had uncovered, erupted like hot lava , boiling over until Robbie couldn't take it any longer .

He had enough of Rex Powers .

Robbie couldn't take it anymore , didn't want to be bullied anymore .

Refused to let Rex's insults bring him down .

" **you got more problems than those screw up kids on Glee , Rob . If I don't fix you , who do you think is gonna volunteer for the job ? No and one , no one but me " **

Robbie gri**pped **his hair, tugging the curls , fought to find his breath and his voice as his inner cool battled it out with the person he had become .

He wasn't the scaredy cat geek with the puppet , he had real friends, he had talent, and he was in love . What's more was that Cat was in love with him back .

" **Shut the hell up, Rex ! I am not broken, I don't need fixed . There is nothing wrong with me, not a damn thing, and you don't know anything about Cat . She loves me because I am myself ….not because I straightened my hair and wore blue contacts " **

" You need a brain transplant if you believe that, Shapiro "

" **NOOOOOOOOOO" **Robbie stalked across the room , grabbing the puppet off of the bed and hurtling him through the air with more strength than he thought he possessed .

" **I am not going to let you win, Rex ! I don't need you anymore ! You are just a damn puppet and I..I am through listening to you for good ! " **

Rex landed with a thud on the floor, quiet .

**Gulping in a breath, **Robbie realized what he had just done and had a moment of panic, recalling all the memories he had shared with Rex as a child. For the longest time, Rex had been his only friend and for a boy who had been awkward and painfully shy, he had been his best friend .

**Rex had also **helped him to break the ice when he had first met Cat, Andre, Beck, and Jade but that had been a long time ago. He was 17 now .

Things in his life had changed for the better , changed him . Robbie's eyes fell on the container of chocolate chip cookies that Cat had made for him and a confident smile appeared on his face.

" **Rob , Rob, I think you bruised me " **

**Robbie gazed **down at the curly hair puppet , tuning him out, and chewing on his lower lip, he wrestled with throwing him in the closet but he could always taunt him from there .

Hadn't he don't so a hundred times before ?

No, that wouldn't do at all . He needed a more permanent solution , he needed to deal with the bully himself .

" I don't need you anymore " Robbie brought his foot down on the puppet's chest hard, giving in to the anger he had never really acknowledged , then kicked Rex across the room , satisfied when he didn't react at all .

" I am my own man now. I am Robbie Shapiro , just Robbie and I'm good "

He crossed the room, bent down to pick up the puppet and stared at his face and shook his head , a tear slipping down his cheek .

" I wish I could say that I am sorry but I'm not . " Robbie yanked the arm off of the puppet , wincing slightly ," you aren't going to survive this time, Rex . "

His cell phone blasted and Robbie dropped Rex on the floor . " Hello "

Cat 's voice was soft ," Robbie , why do you sound sad ? Are you okay ? "

" I'm good now, Cat ," answered Robbie , honestly ," better than I was "

" I don't understand, Robbie ….did something happen after I left ?" asked cat, worriedly .

" Rex is dead, Cat " announced Robbie , relieved to find that he felt better than he would have expected .," He is gone for good now "

Cat smiled over the phone ." Rex had an accident ? "

" No, wasn't an accident ," declared Robbie , finality in his voice ," it was time for Rex to die "

Cat knew there was more to it than what he was telling her but knew that Robbie would tell her when he was ready. " I'm so sorry, Robbie . I know that Rex was important to you …how are you feeling ? I am over at Jade's house but I can come over and be with you "

" Thanks, sweetheart ," declared Robbie ," but I am okay. Better than okay, really "

" I love you " says Cat, her voice soft and understanding ," if you change your mind, I will be right over and we can plan the funeral so you can say goodbye properly "

She wanted to plan a funeral for Rex's funeral for him ?

God, he loved her so very much ! Only Cat, his sweet , generous Cat .

" I love you too, Cat ," Robbie tossed the puppet on the couch , carelessly ," you helped give me the courage to be myself "

Rex Powers was dead but Robbie Shapiro was very much alive .

"


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer : I still don't own Victorious or there would be 2 hour movies too.

" Jade ," Smiling sexily at her , Beck produced a hot cup of coffee , holding it out to her ," good morning . I bought you a coffee ..just the way you like it "

Jade's blue eyes locked with his and she fought a smile , accepting the coffee from him .

" Thanks ," told Jade ," but you do know that bringing me coffee doesn't make everything suddenly okay again …"

They had spent a better part of the night ( meaning alternating texting and talking ) talking as they hadn't in such a long time and it had been nice .

They had avoided the serious stuff though both knew it hadn't disappeared .

The air around and between them was super charged with electricity and the current that still existed between them was very apparent today .

Beck leaned forward ." You are welcome "

Something had shifted between them and all he could think about was how much he wanted her back. If he hadn't already been sure after his big mess up with Tori, he had absolutely no doubt in his mind now that he still loved Jade West .

Convincing Jade of that was another matter entirely but he had a plan .

Jade glanced out of the corner of her eye, spotted Andre looking furtively around the lockers before making a mad rush to his , and probably avoid Tori too.

" There's Andre ," brought up Jade , lifting a dark brow ," you tried talking to him again?"

" No but I talked to you last night ," pointed out Beck, giving her another charming smile ," besides you have to know that Andre is still pretty wazzed off at me "

Jade smirked ," You deserve it ," allowed Jade ," but here's a thought, Beck, you could try talking to him again . He is your best friend , Beck ….."

" I don't think Andre is feeling much friendship right now for me "

" Tori is a second away from groveling ," remarked Jade , knowingly ," you should join her . Show Andre that you are sincere …..even I think you're sincere "

" I don't want Tori " insisted Beck, firmly ," I never wanted Tori "

" I figured that out on my own but thanks ," said a glib Jade ," so talk to Andre "

Beck moved in closer , brushing her arm with his hand and felt her shiver at his touch. She wasn't as immune to him as she let on ." I don't ever remember you caring this much about a friend ," replied Beck, " but I like this side of you "

" Thought you used to say that I was a horrible person ," brought up Jade , slyly ," so I am just trying to be nicer to a friend. I've never had a problem with Andre except for his taste in Tori but whatever …..go talk to him "

" Fine , I will talk to Andre " agreed Beck, not wanting to piss her off . Groaning under his breath at her stubbornness and resisting the urge to kiss those red lips, Beck reluctantly planted himself next to his friends locker .

Here goes nothing .

" Andre "

" Beck," Andre slammed his locker shut and glared at his friend ," thought I made myself clear that I don't want to hang out for a while ….I was serious "

" Dude , I know I broke the bro code and I suck ," apologized Beck ," I am sorry for putting the moves on Tori . She is your girl and I just shouldn't have done it ….even though she helped me realize how I feel about Jade, which isn't the point "

" This is one of the reasons we're not hanging out cause I feel like I cant trust you "

" Fair enough ," agreed Beck , evenly ," but just in case you decide to cool your wonky , dude , here's something you should know. I want Jade , its always been Jade for me ..not Tori. I was just too caught up in myself to see it ….and I intend to get her back "

" That's between you and Jade ," remarked Andre ," right now I hope Jade cuts off that pretty hair of yours and sets fire to it "

" So I see your really wazzed off at me then " noticed Beck, calmly ," I get that . You do know that Robbie will eventually drive you nuts …"

" Robbie isn't that bad ," quipped Andre ," you betrayed me , Beck. I have a right to deal with this and you however works best for me and right now I want us to not be having this conversation …so you can leave now "

Meanwhile the girls were loitering by Jade's locker , Tori 's eyes fixated on Andre and the angry line etched across his forehead and bugged some more . Since his official break up with her and the subsequent follow up of ' we should just go back to being friends ' Andre had only said hey to her a total of 6 times and still hardly met her gaze.

She wasn't in a good place and it showed in her casual attire of blue sweats and a baseball shirt . " They aren't screaming at each other ," noted Tori," that could be a good sign. I mean if Andre forgives Beck then he will have to , you know, forgive me too "

" I don't think it went well ….." says Cat , looking around for Robbie but he hadn't showed up yet ," Andre and Beck don't look happy "

Tori backed against the locker, glumly ." Andre is never going to forgive me ….I don't understand how we are supposed to be friends again when he wont even look me in the eye"

" Andre will come around , Tori ," tossed out Jade ," don't be such a whiny baby "

Tori glowered at her ." I am not whining ! Okay maybe I am but how do you know Andre will come around, Jade ?"

" Because Andre and Beck aren't so different on some things, Tori "

" Jade and Beck spent all last night talking to each other , Tori " sang out Cat, happily .

" Cat ! " admonished Jade , shaking her head and sending her a dirty look .

" What ? You and Beck did talk ," stressed Cat ," I think its important ..it means that you two still care about each other "

" You weren't fighting ," inquired Tori, still weary ," cause I still expect you to want to drive me to my doom when I least expect it because of Beck …."

" Relax, I wouldn't kill you ," jade couldn't resist teasing her ," torture probably but I don't think you are worth going to prison for, Vega . " She let out a sigh ," Beck and I did talk a lot last night which I guess was good . I mean, I miss not talking to him and it isn't the same between us….he admitted that he was wrong too , which is like a first since I have known him…."

" I don't know ..it was never this complicated between us before "

" I think it is because you and Beck have both changed some ," added Tori," you know, since the break up "

Jade rolled her eyes , upward. " Whatever, I don't really care "

" I think you do " countered the frazzled brunette , her eyes still on Andre .

" Will you two please stop fighting " says Cat as she spotted Robbie coming down the stairs ," I mean it, Robbie is going to need us today after what happened to Rex "

She met him on the stairs , searching his face and found a touch of grief and sadness in his eyes . " Robbie '

Cat wound her arms around his neck , hugging him, tightly ." How are you doing ?"

He slipped his arms around her waist and took comfort in her . " Better than I thought I would be , if you must know …he's in a box right now "

She kissed him, ever so softly ." I am so sorry that you are sad, Robbie . I know how much Rex meant to you ….."

" He was my best friend but he had just gotten so mean," Robbie's voice cracked a bit ," I couldn't listen to him, anymore . I didn't want to …you know I actually feel like this huge thing has been lifted from my shoulders now "

Cat rested her head on his chest ." Then I am glad because I think he brought you down a lot ," says Cat, quietly ," I was thinking that later when you felt up to it, we could talk and plan Rex's funeral. I know you would want it to be small ….."

" I really do love you, Cat "

" I love you too, Robbie ' assured Cat , smiling adoringly up at him .

" God, I hate to ruin this moment but I did finally get a text from Roxie last night ," explained Robbie ," her grandfather had a heart attack so she and her family flew out to Seattle . He is doing much better and she plans on being back in town by Friday . "

" Oh my God , that is terrible ! "

" I know ," replied Robbie ," given the circumstances , I felt like it wasn't the right time to break up with her …..'

" I wouldn't have expected you too ," muttered an understanding Cat ," that would have been mean. Especially when she is worrying over her Grandpa …" She frowned , considerate ," didn't you say that Roxanne is Gibby's cousin so that would make them sharing a grandpa . "

" They are cousins "

" I should text Gibby and make sure he is doing okay " decided a thoughtful Cat .

" I am sure he would appreciate you thinking about him " declared Robbie, knowing it was true .

" Robbie " Andre and Beck had put aside their issue when they spotted their friend and walked over to see him at the same time that Tori and Jade did as they all hung around the stairs .

" Hey guys "

" Rob " spoke up Jade with a nod ," Cat told us about what happened with Rex "

" I thought you would want them to know …." says Cat, reaching for his hand .

" That I murdered Rex , yeah, its okay ," remarked Robbie , his tone dry ," I should feel awful about it but I just cracked , I think "

" You did the right thing " said Jade ," you have Cat , you don't need the stupid puppet "

" We are really sorry though, Robbie ' Tori patted his arm ," and I don't feel so bad now about me almost accidentally killing Rex a couple years ago…"

" He never fully recovered from the brain damage , I think that's why he was so mean ," replied Robbie , who had given this a lot of thought ," but thanks, Tori "

Andre thumped his shoulder ." You do just fine on your own, Robbie "

" It was time , dude " said a calm Beck," and we're here for you "

" Thanks, guys , it means a lot " expressed Robbie ," and Cat and I are planning a small funeral for him. I just need to say goodbye so I hope you will come …."

" Funeral ?" repeated Tori , exchanging looks within the group but they didn't question it .

" It's mainly for Robbie …." pointed out Cat , sending them all looks that stated that she expected them to all be there for their friend ," we'll let you know when we work it out "

" Sure , we'll be there ," agreed Andre ," so I think we should get to class "

They all walked towards Sikowitz's room and Tori ran around Jade to catch up with Andre . " Hey, you ," said a nervous Tori," so, I was kind of shocked about Rex . Weren't you ? I mean, we have all been on Robbie about that puppet ….."

" Robbie manned up is all ," acknowledged Andre ," figured it was coming sooner than later. "

" Um, so, we haven't really had a chance to come up with more back-story ," Tori tried to force him to meet her gaze ," I ought to be having the baby soon…." She let out a nervous laugh," you about ready to become a daddy ? "

" I will act with you, Tori, but I don't want you thinking its more than that " stated Andre.

" I hate this …" muttered Tori, grabbing his arm," why wont you give me another chance ?"

He yanked her arm, away ." I lost all the trust I had in you ,Tori, and don't ask why "

He moved away from her , sitting as far away from her as possible as she plopped down in the front of class, shrinking in her seat. Cat and Robbie sat next to each other , holding hands and unaware of the fact, Jade and Beck found themselves seating together like they used to as a couple .

Sikowitz burst into his room, ridiculously outfitted in garish brown lounge pants, a bright brown and gold sweater and a plaid scarf around his neck, ever present coconut in hand .

" Kids , " greeted the wild haired teacher ," did I miss the memo on the two timing and the cheating hearts all a go in your little clique ? Here I was hoping you teenagers would have more sense than those darn 90210 and gleeks with all the boyfriend/girlfriend swapping …and I am disappointed in you , Tori and Beck "

" How do you know about it ?" demanded Beck, who hadn't told him anything .

" I already feel bad ! " insisted a pouty Tori, crossing her arms over her chest .

" Lane heard about it from Trina ," answered Sikowitz ,with a wild laugh," you should know how fast news travels in this school …..but enough on the gossip and onto our assignments. Today's is a whopper …baring your soul in the most vulnerable way that you can with your lady love or man . This is used most effective in soap operas and all those lushy chick flicks when it's the big L confession time ….and I want Beck and jade up on that stage "

" What ? You have got to be kidding me , Sikowitz ? Cant we just do another scene from my play instead ?" argued a reluctant jade, though she planted herself on the stage .

" Just follow Beck's lead …" taking a sip of his coconut, Sikowitz sat down in the audience and prepared to be fascinated at what was surely to be exciting .

He had been surprised when he had a video chat request the night before from Beck Oliver but once the young man had explained his plan to him, the teacher could only agree to go along with him. It was going to be fun .

Beck stared soulfully at the worry lines etched between jade's beautiful eyes and knew he could fix them. " When I first saw you , I felt like I was hit by a ton of bricks ," said Beck, quietly ," you were ..you are so beautiful with all that dark hair and that sharp tongue, I think I must have fallen in love with you the moment you told me to watch where I was going then elbowed me in the gut "

Realization dawned on Jade all at once and she shook her head at him. " No," warned Jade , under her breath," what are you doing, Beck ? We are not doing this ..here "

" Yes, we are ," declared Beck, softly ," I thought that we were the perfect couple . Bickering with you, watching how got all jealous at the slightest bit of flirting always made me feel like I was the only thing , the only guy that mattered to you . It was a heady feeling, Jade , and I felt the same way about you. You were my other half and you knew me better than any girl I have ever gone out with before …..and I have been going nuts trying to figure out why we broke up in the first place "

" You fought all of the time " contributed Cat in a tiny voice .

" She's right ," Jade found her voice ," the fighting was too real. I felt like you stopped listening to me …..and it made me so furious that you acted like it was nothing for you to flirt with Tori and the other girls . "

Beck moved around her , slowly " We lost the trust that we always had ," realized Beck ," and I think I forgot that it hurt you when I flirted back . You never did that …and as much as I wanted to blame you for everything that was wrong in our relationship, a lot of the blame goes to me as well. I wasn't the perfect boyfriend ….."

" I knew that you loved me but you stopped saying it ," admitted Jade , her voice cracking slightly with emotion," you didn't even act like you did anymore ! I couldn't even remember a time before we broke up that you would kiss me in the hall..before it was natural and always . " She turned her head ," I didn't think you were in love with me , Beck, and that was something that terrified me "

He moved closer , cupping her elbow and peering into those blue eyes he loved so much .

" I hated the fighting, Jade . You know I hate that more than anything ! You wouldn't listen and we were having trouble talking ….it was never a question of my loving you "

" It was to me, Beck ! I didn't think you loved me anymore ! "

" I tried not to while we were apart ," admitted Beck, with a heartened sigh ," I thought moving on was just what I needed . I thought dating other girls would be just what I needed to forget you except that I kept comparing Kyra to you ..and she didn't stack up .

She wasn't you , Jade, and I freaked …..I don't think I have ever been this messed up in the head before "

" I tried avoidance but it still hurts , Beck " said Jade, moisture welling in her eyes," but I might have been miserable but I wanted to prove that I didn't need you ,Beck . "

" Not even a little , Jade ?" Beck searched her face as he moved to take her into his arms ," because you know what I realized ..I realized that I want you and I need you. I messed up big time and I am tired of pretending ..you know , that's what we have both been doing , pretending . Can we please stop now ?"

She patted his chest with her hands , hope in her eyes. " You still love me ?"

" Who said I ever stopped " repeated Beck, love in his voice ," I love you , Jade West , and can we please stop pushing and pulling each other . I need you "

" I love you too, Beck " admitted Jade ," and I'm..I'm sorry to ..I shouldn't have given you the ultimatum "

He silenced her with a kiss that went on forever , making up for lost time between them.

Jade whispered soft love you 's and he changed the angle of the kiss, tasting, testing, delving , then gentling into soft kisses of love , need , and tenderness .

" I hope that means they are back together " spoke up a romantic hopeful Cat .

Beck placed an arm around jade's shoulder and kissed her firmly . " Babe , can we give us another shot ?"

" We still have some ..more personal things to talk about but yes, I want that too "

" Good " Beck dove in for another kiss ," cause I am a wreck without you "

" Ahhhh , that is so sweet ' this came from Tori , daring to steal a glance at Andre.

He wore an impassive expression on his face . " Be careful, Jade "

" Beck, good work, my man ," smiled Sikowitz ," and you two crazy kids try better to make it work this time . Be grateful that you have one another "

Jade turned to Beck , curiosity in her blue eyes . " You planned this , Beck ?"

" I know you don't take stock in romance, Jade , but I was trying to bare my soul ," admitted Beck," and I wanted to make sure you would actually listen to me "

Her red lips twisted in a smile ," I love you "

God, it felt so good to say that to him again !

Beck ran a hand through her inky hair , enjoying the familiar texture and softness of her hair . " I will be better this time, Jade, I promise "

" We'll be better this time " informed Jade , knowing that it was true .

Whatever had happened between them had changed them and with three months of being apart , they were aware of their mistakes and wouldn't make them again .

Their love was and would be stronger this time around .


	22. Chapter 22

Once Caterina Valentine put her mind to helping those she cared about , she put all of her energy and her whole heart and soul into the matter at hand .

Right now every bit of herself was focused on helping Robbie through adjusting to being without Rex since his death the night before .

He was doing so much better than she had thought he would be . After all it had only been a few years ago when Tori had almost accidentally killed Rex and poor Robbie had just been devastated . Even though Rex had somehow survived that death.

This time however the puppet wasn't coming back to life .

Cat could honestly admit that she was very much in love with Robbie Shapiro , madly, deeply, more so than she ever could have imagined to be so and she wanted for Rex's funeral to be just right .

Robbie needed closure and she knew this was the only way he would actually say goodbye to Rex . She understood this better than any of their friends .

Maybe because of the fact that she and Robbie could read each other so well .

They always had been -funny , how she never really noticed this until she fell in love with him !

She had tracked down Sinjin and Burf earlier this morning and with a little bit of flirting ( very little ) they had agreed to make a small casket from leftover set dressing for Rex.

Cat had a feeling Robbie might want an open service for Rex since he wasn't too badly mangled or anything .

Cat checked her pear phone , noting that she still hadn't heard from him. Though Robbie had confided that he was going to speak to Lane about switching his talents to musical comedy. He wasn't in the same league of songwriting musician as Andre but Robbie did have a knack for his own kind of songwriting .

She had learned this when she and Robbie had done their little give bad news in a cheerful way business venture a few months back.

Robbie really was quite talented .

She sighed , scanned her list of flowers on her pink pear pad , and took a sip of her water when Tori joined her at their usual lunch table .

" Hey Cat ," greeted Tori, popping a French fry in her mouth and noting they were the only ones here," what's up ?"

" Do you think we should get white roses or white lilies for Rex ? I don't really think that Rex would have liked roses so I am sort of leaning towards the lilies but I haven't asked Robbie yet " explained Cat , quietly .

Tori gaped at her . " You were serious about the funeral ? Oh Cat, I don't really think it is going to matter ..I mean, if Rex is really dead this time . I doubt the puppet will have a flower preference and isn't that a ..bit much ?"

" He is really dead which is why we have to give him this funeral ," stated Cat, twisting her hair ," Robbie needs to say a proper goodbye . If you are just going to be negative , Tori, please don't be that way around Robbie ….."

Tori tossed a fry across the table, dejected ." I'm sorry, Cat ," groaned Tori ," I'm just bummed because of me and Andre and frankly , the thought of a funeral is both creepy and depressing "

Cat reached across to pat her friends hand , sympathetically ." I know, I'm sorry but Andre did say more than hey to you today . That's a good sign …"

" There is no good in this ,Cat ," whined Tori ," its awful '

" Hey girls," greeted Robbie , taking a seat beside Cat ," what did I miss ?"

" Oh nothing ," sighed Tori," everything "

" Tori is still hurting over Andre " explained Cat , squeezing his forearm and sending him a warm smile ," did you talk to Lane ?"

" Sorry, Tori ," Robbie addressed his friend first ," he'll come around soon. Andre is never one to stay mad long …"

" Why does everyone keep saying that ?" bemoaned Tori, burying her face in her hands .

" Because it's usually true " commented Cat then peered up at Robbie through her long lashes ," so did you talk to Lane and explain , Robbie ?"

" I did," admitted Robbie , with a slight nod ," I don't know why I was so nervous to tell Lane about Rex. He was great about everything ..he even told me that I was more mature and confident without him and I believed him "

" You are , Robbie …." murmured Cat, resting her forehead against his .

He kissed her lightly ," Thanks, cutie . "

Tori stuck out her tongue at them ." Ugh ! Do you two have to be all smushy ? What else did Lane say, Robbie ?"

" Oh, Lane was going to talk to Helen about it ," continued Robbie ," but he didn't see where it would be a problem or anything …"

" That is amazing " said Tori, " surprising considering how Helen normally is but good "

" Hey " greeted Beck as he and Jade joined them at the table, their hands linked and smiles on their faces. The newly reunited couple actually seemed happy and relaxed .

He leaned down , kissing Jade with tenderness. " Had to do that its been awhile "

Jade lifted a dark brow and pursed her red lips, almost playfully ." Five whole minutes , Beck, but I'm not complaining " muttered Jade , content ," So, Rob, sorry about Rex and all but I was thinking I could take care of the ..body after the funeral "

Robbie considered and chewed on the bottom of his lip. " Body ? I think ..Cat and I were just going to bury him "

" I could help with that ," offered Jade , no malice in her tone ," I've got a new pair of scissors that are super sharp or I could totally burn the puppet for you "

Robbie blanched as Cat made a surprised face ," Jade, stop it ! "

" What ," explained Jade ," I was , you know, trying to be nice here, Cat . I didn't mean anything by it …"

" She really didn't .." defended Beck, quietly .

Robbie met Jade's gaze and nodded ." Thanks, Jade, but ask me after the service tonight "

Jade nodded ," or I can just take care of it for you "

" You could …." trailed off Robbie as his pear phone went off alerting him of a text ," oh cheese, it's a text from Roxanne . She wont be in from Seattle until after four on Friday ….daren't "

" You really need to end things with Roxanne, dude " contributed Beck , nodding slightly at Cat .

" I know ," admitted Robbie, woefully ," I feel like such a coward . Have you ever broken up with a girl by a text before, Beck ?"

Tori leaned in , curious . " What…...even I want to know the answer to this one "

" Uh, not really my style ," remarked Beck, dragging a hand through his head ," did you forget that s how Andre dumped Sherry ? She was not a happy girl with him…."

" Oh, I forgot about that ….and I considered an email ," continued a thoughtful Robbie ," but decided in person was better . Except I have to wait since her grandfather passed away …I'm not heartless "

" Oh, that reminds me I should really call Gibby and tell him how sorry we are to hear about his Grandpa " Cat stood up," I should make this call inside where its private ."

Robbie squeezed her hand ," Hurry back, sweetheart "

Cat beamed at him ," I will and remember , we are trying to do better until you break up with Roxanne , Robbie . " She kissed his cheek and headed inside Hollywood Arts .

Once she had disappeared , Jade turned her attention back towards Robbie .

" If you don't break up with the gank soon, Rob, I will do it for you ," declared Jade, evenly ," and I wont be nice about it either "

" I will, Jade , " stated Robbie , firmly ," I promise . I just have to ..man up first "

Meanwhile in the Ridgeway High School basement also known as ' Gibby's " restaurant , it was lunch time and Gibby had a good crowd of mostly his regulars . He hand delivered two plain lemonades to Freddie and Carly's table, nodded at Sam, who was behind the grill making her awesome hot meat sandwiches and in her element , when his pear phone sounded loudly over the din of teenagers and an occasional teacher .

" Gibby's "

Cat giggled ," Oh, you sound so professional "

Gibby automatically recognized the cheerful voice on the other end of the line and grinned over the phone . " Cat , how the heck are you ? This is a surprise …been a while since I have heard from you "

" I know since I sent you the deep friend Fat cake recipe, right ," answered Cat," don't you think its really good ? Mom and I found a way to put my brothers new special medicine in the fried cake when he went kind of crazy and figured out about his old medicine in Funky Nut Blast …."

" Yea, it's a big hit and Sam fries them for herself " added Gibby , leaning against a counter . He and Sam had the extra help now so he could take five.

" Oh, kay ," Cat grew serious ," the reason I am calling is to say that I am..well, we are so sorry to hear about your grandfather , Gibby "

" Thanks ," said gibby, watching as Sam took a bite out of her own sandwich while deftly plating another ," it has been kind of hard to deal with but its good to know that I have friends that care .."

Hmm, Freddie must have sent the Hollywood arts gang an email about Granddad.

" I cant imagine how hard it has been for you…." says a sympathetic Cat ," and you have your family there too "

" Yeah, it was really hard dealing with the police ," commented Gibby , off hand ," thank goodness , they aren't pressing charges "

Cat frowned ," Charges ?"

" Oh yeah," continued Gibby , used to relaying the story by now ," they said its not everyday that they find an old man walking down the street with no pants on… "

" No pants ? What do you mean ? He's not wearing any pants ? Was he walking down the street when it happened ?" asked Cat, baffled . She felt as if she had missed something .

" He was on his way to get soup ," told Gibby," he loves his soup "

" And that's when he had a heart attack and died ?" figured Cat , softly .

Gibby leaned against the counter , momentarily stunned ." Died ? My Granddad died ? "

" Um, I'm confused here " admitted Cat, biting her lip.

" Me too. Cat, why would you think that my Granddad died ? " asked Gibby, equally confused.

" Well, Roxanne told Robbie that your grandpa died and I wanted to say sorry ," explained a careful Cat," cause I know how much you love him. "

" My grandfather isn't dead "

" Oh," realized Cat ," so Roxanne isn't in Seattle with you and your family ?"

" The demon's daughter isn't here ," explained Gibby ," and if she were I would sick Sam on her with a butter sock. Uh, thanks for calling Cat but Principal Franklin just walked in and I cant be on here …"

" Kay, kay " Cat hung up the phone and grew quiet .

Roxanne was a liar . She had lied to Robbie and to use her own grandfather was just an awful mean thing to do !

Cat wanted to tell Robbie the truth but was hesitant . Sure he seemed as if he was alright but she could tell he was still trying to come to terms with killing Rex .

She would wait until the time was right and let Robbie decide what he wanted to do .

" Cat " Andre noticed the little redhead standing by her locker staring at her phone and decided he needed to apologize again for his outburst at her the other day.

He was just looking out for his friend but he could have been nicer with Cat .

" Oh hey Andre….we miss you at lunch " says Cat, naturally .

" I miss you guys too ," admitted a truthful Andre ," look , I'm sorry that I jumped all on your case about Robbie . I still think you guys should have waited till Rob ended things with his girlfriend and all but I shouldn't have spoken to you like I did "

Cat twisted her fingers together, mulling over the very thing that had been bothering her conscience . " It bothers me to, you know ," says Cat in a small voice ," I've never loved a boy the way I love Robbie before and I think I just got carried away being in love . Robbie is going to break up with her on Saturday….he isn't a bad guy, you know "

" Glad to hear it ," Andre pulled her into a hug ," hate the whole cheating thing , lil Red especially when I know the two friends are in love "

" Me and Robbie , right " Cat giggled and stared thoughtfully at him ," and for what its worth, Andre, Tori is just as upset at herself as you are with her . "

" I know that but I just need some space right now " explained Andre, letting out a breath," so , are we going all out for this funeral thing, Cat ? Do I need to like bring a casserole for Robbie or what ? I know Jade was hoping he'd let her cremate the puppet …"

" I texted my mom earlier to ask if we could have it at my house ," answered Cat ," she said it was fine . It's a service and a funeral so I think it would be really rude it we didn't have food to eat ….."

" This is some crazy chizz that we're even having a service for a dead puppet "

" Not so much for Rex than it is for Robbie ," stated Cat ," trust me about this "

A few hours later, Cat walked in her home, calling out for whoever was home .

" Mom ? Dad ? " called Cat , heading towards the bright red kitchen where she found her mother making a large salad ," oh hey Mom, I was afraid that you were working over "

" Mr. Gibbons was fine with me getting off work a bit early to help my daughter with a funeral " answered Celia Valentine as Cat stole a carrot to nibble on ," I seem to recall that your group of friends enjoy salads so I thought this would be nice …and I picked up some things you mentioned that Robbie likes . He needn't worry about such things at a time like this ..the poor boy "

Celia was a petite woman with long, wavy strawberry blonde tresses, wide brown eyes, and an easy nature . " It is very thoughtful of you to do this for Robbie, Caterina "

Cat blushed ," I'm in love with him, Mom "

" I know that you are ," smiled Celia with a knowing look," is it alright for me to ask if Robbie has broken up with that North Ridge girl that he has been dating for a while now ? Don't ask me how I know, honey, I couldn't help but overhear you and jade talking about it …."

Cat frowned and plopped down on the bar stool . " No ," muttered Cat , glumly ," not yet . He doesn't want to be a jerk …..you know if he sends her a text dumping her "

Celia dried her hands on a towel and focused her attention on her daughter . " Even though given the situation, Robbie will still wind up being the jerk either way except he would be the jerk that loves you "

" MOOOOOOM, don't ," pouted Cat ," its hard enough as it is with everyone being disappointed in me. Andre doesn't think I'm a horrible person anymore but he still thinks its bad …..me and Robbie "

" Cat, " Celia sent her an understanding smile ," you and Robbie aren't bad people . However you two managed to get yourself into this adult situation I still don't quite understand and I don't know if I want to know all of the details " She smiled ,gently at her daughter ," however , you fell in love and I expect that neither of you had planned for that to happen…..love just happens "

" Robbie has tried to break up with her, Mom, but things keep happening ! " groaned Cat ," it's ..it's so frustrating and you know how much I hate controversy "

" Are you worried that Robbie wont end it with this girl ?"

Cat was quiet . " No, Robbie promised me and I believe him "

" Well, despite the dicey circumstances which I hope you wont let happen again ," continued Celia , reassuringly ," I think Robbie is a man of his word "

Cat played with the end of her hair " I love that about him too….I ..I just wish he would break up with Roxanne really soon or I am going to cry "

" How exactly does this Roxanne feel about you, my darlin daughter , throwing a funeral for her boyfriends puppet ? I cant imagine that would set well at all…."

" She would probably hate it and me if she knew about Rex ," retorted Cat , sharply ," I did tell you about how Roxanne is the kind of girl who has been trying to change Robbie into somebody he isn't …and Robbie has never told her about Rex "

Celia nodded ," That speaks volumes right there so at least there wont be any awkwardness tonight at the service "

" Except for Tori and Andre "

" I swear the drama you teenagers get into …." chuckled Celia , putting an arm around Cat's shoulders , hugging her ," mind you I understand the falling in love but cheating is still very wrong .."

" I know that, Mom "

" However , I trust that you and Robbie will make things right ," continued Celia ," and let me just say that I have always been fond of that Robbie Shapiro "

Cat frowned ." You didn't like my other boyfriends ? I thought you liked Daniel …"

" Your father liked Daniel ," corrected Celia ," and you fancied yourself sort of in love with him ..I wanted to let you decide and follow your own heart. I thought he was too smooth and I was right ….and I didn't like the earring "

" I feel different with Robbie …a lot different " admitted Cat, almost shyly .

" I can tell ," teased Celia , a glint in her dark brown eyes ," of course, I had hoped you might have noticed that boy adoring you a lot sooner than you did, young lady " She rolled her eyes upwards ," You about drove me up a wall , Caterina , about that dream of yours regarding Robbie not rescuing you from those dream cannibal children "

" I never had a dream about Robbie before ," defended Cat ," and he was supposed to save me . I was upset with him for two days over that …."

" I know ….I remember it " Celia laughed ," alrighty then , shouldn't you be texting all of your friends about tonight ? You need to get changed and decide how you want to set things up….the den is picked up unless you want everything outside "

" Oh, I already did ," Cat held up her pear phone ," I told them 7: 30 but I imagine that Robbie will come early with the body …"

" Good ," answered Celia ," you will have to thank your brother because I told him about it so he was nice and dug a hole in the backyard for you …."

" You let him have a shovel, Mom ? I thought that was one of the things on his list he couldn't have …" says a worried Cat ," its dangerous "

" Steven is adjusting well to the new you know what ," informed Celia in a hushed tone ," he's been acting like an average, normal 22 year old so I let him use the shovel . It is fine and I am having a good feeling this time, Cat "

Cat clapped her hands together , excited . " Yay ! " She kissed her mothers cheek ," I should start setting things up before Robbie gets here . Oh, and the flowers should be here soon ..I went with lilies instead of roses "

Just then her older brother bopped his head around the corner " Cat, two odd looking aliens are at the door for you with a casket …."

" Oh goody, its Sinjin and Burf ! Now I wont have to set that up by myself "

With her brother and her two friends help , they arranged the small casket in the backyard then Cat used some scrap velvet from her costume making to line it and a small pillow .

She arranged lilies in a large vase nearby then went to work helping her mother prepare the food because it was the right thing to do plus her friends would be hungry .

She set up a small buffet in the den and framed a nice picture of Rex and Robbie .

Cat had just changed into a short , simple black dress with a light cardigan when Robbie showed up carrying Rex in a box . " Robbie , you look so nice "

" Thanks " He wore a pair of nice pants , his blue collared shirt and a jacket ," you look pretty " He felt very uncomfortable holding Rex as if he would suddenly come to life again like some evil horror menace ," he's still dressed in his favorite outfit though I was thinking I'm not sure an open casket is something I can deal with ….."

" The casket is in the backyard …come on, I'll put him in there for you " Cat took his hand , leading him outside and to the simple casket ," I think not seeing him is best for you too "

" You did all this for me, Cat ?" asked Robbie, awed by how nice everything looked .

Cat only nodded ," Well Steven, Sinjin, and Burf helped move the casket for me and I didn't think Rex was fussy about flowers . Lillies are nice , I thought "

Robbie's heart tumbled and fell even harder in love with Cat in that moment .

" You are amazing "

" Thanks, Robbie …." Cat lifted Rex carefully and placed him inside the wooden box , arranging the purple giraffe beside him just so ," there, I think that is just right "

Robbie noticed her purple giraffe . " Cat , why is Mr. Purple in with Rex ? You love him and I don't remember you mentioning your giraffe being sick …."

Cat turned around , placing her hands on his arms and their eyes met ." I've learned to love so I don't need him anymore , Robbie "

Touched beyond words, Robbie bent and placed his lips over hers in an achingly sweet and loving kiss . " I am completely in love with you, Caterina Valentine "

She rested her forehead against his ," I love you too , Robbie , but we shouldn't be all like this ..until your free "

Robbie sighed ," I am counting the hours "

" Not as much as me " admitted Cat as they heard the voices of all of their friends .

" Cat , that is some wicked spread you have in there ," said Jade ," good job "

" You have to eat after a service ," explained Cat, " it's polite "

Jade peered in the casket , noting the torn arm of Rex with approval then her eyes fell on the purple giraffe . Cat's giraffe . It was about time the baby girl moved on and looks like she and Rob were moving on together .

" Sorry, Robbie, but I'm proud of you for showing the puppet no mercy " said jade , sincerely and even gave the surprised geek a hug ," and the offer is still open if you want me to burn him for you "

" Uh, thank you, Jade " answered a numb Robbie as Beck closed the lid . Now that it was actually happening , he was having a time with memories of Rex who had been his only friend when he was younger .

Who had made friends much easier than an awkward boy with glasses .

Beck clamped a hand across his back. " You holding up okay, Robbie ? "

" I thought I heard him arguing with me on the way over here ," admitted Robbie , honestly ," then I realized it was my nerves . I'm sad but I know its for the best ….and I think once Rex is in the ground I will be finally free of his hold on me "

" Which is a good thing …..he was never right after the wind blower accident " said Beck

" I thought we all agreed that Robbie doesn't need to rehash all the bad things about Rex " contributed Tori , joining them outside ," just the good memories "

She gave Robbie a hug . " Trina sends her sympathy "

" Trina doesn't like me " pointed out Robbie with a light laugh ," but thanks "

" She was being nice ," told Tori ," and I promised I would relay the message . " She moved beside Cat ," Wow, you did a awesome job at putting this together , Cat . It even looks like a , you know, real funeral service …"

" Thanks , Tori , I appreciate it " says Cat , squeezing Robbie's wrist ," there is Andre "

She moved away and greeted her friend . " Oh goody, I was afraid you weren't coming "

Andre shifted, uncomfortably . " Don't care much for these things but didn't want to let Robbie down ," answered Andre , " I didn't have time to make a casserole so I brought cake . Chocolate cake cause I figured Robbie would need it ….the dude likes his sweets like you do "

" That was nice of you ," says Cat ," you should talk to Robbie then I think we should start soon…. Its just going to be all of us "

Andre lifted his head, eyes colliding briefly with Tori's and his heart raced then plummeted right back down to the ground as if remembering why things were the way they were now. He nodded and found his way over to Robbie who was talking with Beck and Jade, and interjected himself in between them , making small talk rather than stand awkwardly by Tori .

" Real proud of you, Robbie , for how your handling this thing with Rex " told Andre ," you haven't needed Rex for a while now . So I think its all going to be good for you from now on ….."

" Thanks, Andre " said Robbie, " uh, just a second , guys "

He moved , glanced quickly at realized that the casket was closed on Rex forever .

Cat noticed and pressed herself against him , wanting to give him comfort .

" Do you want me to open it, Robbie ? Beck closed it but if you wanted to look at him one more time ….we can open it back up "

" No, I'm okay ," said Robbie , and meaning it ," though I do think it might not hurt if I didn't know what Jade could do with his body …."

" I'll talk to Jade later " assured Cat ," um, you sit down and I am going to say a few words then we can get the service started , Robbie "

Robbie took a seat and the others did as well as Cat straightened her dress and stood in front of the casket, a bit nervous herself . " Hello everyone ," greeted Cat , smiling a tiny smile ," I want to thank you for coming . I know it means a lot to Robbie that all of his friends are here with him as we lay Rex Powers to rest . "

She folded her hands together," I have known Rex as long as I have known Robbie and it always amazed me at how different they were . Rex was cool and popular but he was never very nice ….it was disgusting how he always hit on all the girls "

Tori laughed ," He was shocked that one time I kissed him "

Robbie chuckled , feeling moisture well in his eyes . " Rex always thought you were the hottest, Tori and that freaked him out big time "

" So anyhow Rex never hit on me " went on Cat ," which I know was because of Robbie ., which was nice . He could be awfully mean when he wanted to be ..which was a lot ….um, this isn't coming out the way I wanted it to "

Robbie stood up and went over to Cat, taking her hand into his . " Rex knew I thought highly of you, Cat, and I would have killed him a lot sooner if he disrespected you. "

" He used to not be so bad , you know, until high school ….I knew I would have wound up a loser for sure if Rex hadn't been the cool one among us "

Robbie's voice cracked a bit with emotion ," He could say the cool stuff and the North Ridges girls thought he was awesome . He was popular and I didn't so much blend in when I had Rex with me ….plus he could do a pretty kick ass rap "

Everyone chuckled recalling the party at Keenan Thompson's house and Rex's freestyle against Sam Puckett was legendary of Hollywood Arts parties .

" But these last few months I discovered that I didn't need him to fight any battles for me or to get the girl or to be a bully anymore ," went on Robbie , " I did think about sticking him in the closet but I didn't want to see how weak I was so here we are . "

He sighed, heartily," You were a good friend when I needed you, Rex, and I loved you. "

He kissed his fingertips and placed it on the coffin lid ." Goodbye "

Cat took his hand and led him back to their seats , gesturing to Tori to continue .

Flashing an uneasy smile , Tori made her way up front . " Rex ..what can I say about Rex ," wondered Tori with a laugh ," he gives a good neck rub "

Andre chuckled, despite himself , and nodded . She had been cramming for her Theatre tech Exam and had actually taken the puppet up on a neck massage .

" We weren't really friends but I do know he loved this certain song ," told Tori," so I thought that I would sing it for him "

" OH " was heard from Jade until Beck silenced her with a tender kiss .

**Move your body right next to mine **

Feel the beat and we're lost in time

I'm yours and now you are mine

Forever baby

Robbie clutched Cat's hands, the tears flowing easy now and sang along with Tori .

" All the things that we want to do, never gonna let go of you " sang Robbie , quietly ," Meant for me and I'm meant for you. Forever baby …."

Tori stepped forward to hug him then returned to her seat as Jade stepped forward .

" Yeah, I don't really know what to say ," retorted jade ," Beck is making me do this "

Andre chuckled and managed to share a smile with Tori. Typical Jade and taking the tension right out of the service which they all needed .

" I never really liked the stupid puppet but I was real happy that Rob murdered him ," continued a honest Jade , noticing that even Robbie had managed a half smile ," he can be a normal geek now which I know we're all happy about . If I had known it would have been all about Cat , I would have knocked Robbie into her much sooner and murdered the puppet years ago …"

Cat shook her head at her best friend then noticed that Robbie was actually laughing .

" I might have let you too, Jade " muttered a red faced Robbie , smiling lovingly at Cat .

" That's all I have to say ," declared Jade ,' can we eat now ? I'm starved "

" Does anyone else have any memory they want to share with Robbie before my brother buries the ..well, before ?" inquired Cat, glancing at Beck and Andre .

" Rex and I were never really friends either …" said Beck, " sorry, man "

" Rex did help me have an awesome party at Keenan's so that was cool " added Andre

" That concludes our service for Rex ," announced Cat ," and there is a buffet in the den so you can all help yourself and mingle . Thank you "

While their friends couldn't get back inside the house fast enough, Cat walked with Robbie up to the casket and watched the emotions flash across his face until they settled on acceptance . " You are in a better place, Rex, and maybe Mr. Giraffe will teach you a thing or two about finding love . Goodbye "

Cat held tight to his arm. " Do you need to be alone, Robbie ? I can go inside "

" No, sweetheart, I am okay ," declared Robbie , strongly ," thanks to you . "

He kissed her temple . " Tomorrow night at Karaoke Dokee I am ending things once and for all with Roxanne so that you and I can finally do this relationship the right way "

" That is all I have ever wanted , Robbie " murmured Cat, softly.


	23. Chapter 23

" I'm home ," announced Tori, stepping into the living room and throwing her purse on the coffee table ," I never , really never thought I would be saying this but the service for Rex was really nice . Cat did a good job and I think it meant a lot to Robbie that all of his friends came out for him…." She paused noting the quietness between her parents and the incredulous expression that Trina was currently wearing across her face.

It didn't seem natural especially for her older sister .

" Uh, what's up ? Did I miss a family meeting or something ? Not that we have ever actually had family meetings but still this seems sort of weird "

" Mom is having an affair " said Trina , shooting her mother a disgusted look .

" TRINA, no ," Holly shook her dark hair at her oldest daughter ," it isn't anything like that. You misunderstood your father and I , that is all. Don't listen to your sister, honey, you know how dramatic she likes to be "

" I am not being dramatic and I heard you and Dad loud and clear " argued Trina , crossing over to plop down on the sofa beside Tori.

" W..what are you talking about ?" asked Tori, glancing at her father for help.

" I'm still processing …..this cant be real " David stared at the texts on his wives phone in disbelief and found his naturally cool head jumbled . How could he have missed this ?

" I think we should continue having this conversation in private, honey ," urged Holly, " give Trina time to calm down and Tori can tell her about the puppet funeral "

" I don't care about the stupid puppet funeral ," lashed out Trina , accusation in her tone ," you ought to just stop, Mom. I heard you and dad ….every single word from the garage since Dad never finished soundproofing it . Guess it all makes sense as to why your never home ….."

" Trina , enough," David rubbed at the soreness in his neck," don't talk to your mother like that, young lady. We didn't raise you to be disrespectful ….."

" Fine , Dad , but I don't understand why you aren't wazzed off " tossed back Trina .

" I still don't understand what is happening ….anyone ?" asked Tori, feeling new dread sink and drop to the pit of her stomach and fall .

Dad was being pensive and that was never a good thing . He hadn't spoken up to deny what Trina had been accusing their mother of …did that mean some of it was true ?

" Nothing, Tori, a misunderstanding is all that this is " added a nervous Holly,' and I think we can clear it up if we just went upstairs and talked , David "

" I knew that we had our problems ," David found his voice ," I just ..I cant wrap my head around this, Holly . How ..how long have you been texting my partner ?"

Tori gulped and found the rest of her emotions drop to her feet .

" Gary ," repeated Tori, recalling a few of her moms off hand comments about him being good looking which she had found odd ," dad's partner ? OH MY GOD, MOM !"

" I'm right there with you….." trailed David , hurt and anger in his voice ,' I don't …..I never believed …how did you meet with him ?"

" All those late night art buyer meetings and inventory , dad " offered a helpful Trina .

" David , please, can we not hash this out in front of the girls ," pleaded Holly, desperately, touching his arm," girls, just go upstairs so your dad and I can talk "

" Tori and I aren't little kids anymore ," reminded Trina, sharply ," you might as well tell us . We're going to hear you two fight about it anyway …."

" Girls, please , just go upstairs and no spying " replied David , firmly .

" Fine but Tori and I are a part of this family too ," Trina took her younger sisters hand ," we deserve to know the truth as well, Dad "

" Trina , just go upstairs " ordered David, watching as Trina dragged Tori upstairs .

Tori's bedroom was the closest so that is where the girls went, Trina closing the door shut , loudly , and all but throwing her younger sister on the bed, dazed .'

" You missed the good stuff, Tori ," Trina heaved a sigh," I heard the yelling and the screaming from the garage ….wasn't pretty "

Panic and then the quick swift kick of hurt pounded throughout Tori and she gasped .

" Mom wouldn't …would she ? Maybe it was just a misunderstanding between them…that has happened before, you know " Tori tried to make sense of it ," and you don't always hear everything right like ..like with Ryder Daniels "

" I was right about Ryder ," reminded Trina , more gentle now as she sat across from her sister ," and I wish I hadn't heard what I did but I wouldn't lie about it " She bit her lip and continued ," Okay so Sinjin and I had a double foot bleaching with Fuinn Yee . We get a discount that way ….a good foot bleaching is expensive "

" Trina ! I don't care about your feet ! What about Mom and Dad ? "

She ran a hand through her brown hair and tried to focus on what Trina was saying .

The whole idea just didn't sound real to her , it didn't sound like her family .

They weren't a soap opera and they had Trina for the crazy .

" So I was getting out of the car when I heard them fighting ," Trina was serious ," I didn't realize it was Mom and dad right off . I couldn't remember the last time I heard them fighting …I thought maybe it was Beck and Jade only it wasn't "

" Why would Beck and Jade be fighting at my house ?" asked a sarcastic Tori.

" Because that has never happened before ," drawled Trina, rolling her eyes , " stop interrupting me . Dad wanted that new number for that fancy French restaurant that Mom's been bugging over so I figure he must have looked at her phone and that's when all hell broke loose . "

" I don't know if I even want to know ….its Mom " moaned Tori, softly .

" There was a lot of questions and yelling because Mom got a sexy text from Gary while Dad was looking up the number , I think " went on Trina ," Dad was pissed off . That's how I know that Mom has been sexting ….made me sick to think about it "

Sick was understatement .

Tori felt as if she was going to throw up the entire contents of her stomach, just thinking about this ..this cheating thing . .Hadn't she been wrestling with her own conscience about that very thing about her and Andre ?

She had only kissed Beck and that had been horrible judgment on her part .

Oh God, did she get bad judgment from her mom ?

" It could have still be a misunderstanding " gulped Tori, not wanting to believe that either of her parents would ever do something this hurtful to the other .," Did Mom deny it ? I mean, they could just be friends like I'm friends with Robbie ….nothing ever going to go on there either "

" I don't think Mom could deny it , Tori " admitted Trina, her own voice cracking ," Dad wouldn't let me read the phone but I just have a feeling because of what Mom didn't say that the proof was in the new message from Gary …"

Their parents had always been so solid and happy .

Why, why would her Mom do this ?

She clutched at the new pain in her heart and wondered if this sharpness and the bitter taste that went along with it was what Andre was feeling because of her .

Tori closed her eyes, ignoring whatever Trina was saying , and wished this would go away . Her life had its crazy moments which made it sometimes exciting but she liked her normal to a certain extent . Especially where her family was concerned .

She had thought that she had led a rather charmed life and almost perfect .

Perfect was good .

Tori wanted things to be perfect or as close to being perfect as she could make it .

She liked when everything fell into place for her and the only worries she had were improving her songwriting ability and keeping up her popularity at school .

Home wasn't supposed to be something that needed fixed .

That wasn't her parents though now it seemed like it was and she hated it .

" Tori ," Trina cut through her sisters daze to look at her with sisterly love ," baby sister , you look kind of pale . You doing alright there ?"

" Nooooo, Trina, I am not alright ," blurted out Tori, pushing her hair out of the way ," how are you fine ? Why aren't you freaking out like me ?"

" Because you're freaking out enough for the both of us ," Trina gave her an indulgent smile ," so, I think I am going to focus on finding out some info so we can figure out if we need to take sides with Mom or dad "

" We don't need to be choosing either one ! Maybe they can work this out first , Trin "

" Maybe ," allowed Trina, patting her knee ," I was just thinking about when Dad first made detective . Mom was just opening the gallery , I was trying out for Hollywood arts, and you were in your little preppy group at Sherwood . "

" I wasn't preppy ," argued Tori ," and I don't know where you are going with this ? Mom was really proud when dad got to be detective …he worked really hard "

" At first , " agreed Trina ," you don't remember the fighting that came later ? Or how pissed Mom was when Dad missed her first big shows cause of those cases he was working on ..this is what it reminds me of "

" Ugh ! Why are you being logical ? I am the practical one here , not you '

" You're getting emotional so figure one of us has to think straight so thought I'd give it a try for a change ….." Trina met her sisters gaze and found Tori struggling to meet it .

Tori couldn't speak , her mind a whirl of jumbled images and emotions all tossed together .

It was true that Tori didn't like change and this sudden punch in the gut was massive .

Even though Tori liked to believe that she had grown and matured a bit since coming to Hollywood Arts. She wasn't as prissy as all of her friends liked to tease her about being.

Trina craved the attention and would do almost anything to be noticed but for Tori, it was all about her chance to shine . The spotlight, the attention, the sound of the applause , she loved everything that went along with it but still she always wanted them in her perfect Tori order .

Everything was just fine in her world if she kept things just right .

Which is why it had been such a huge deal and so important for her to learn to loosen up and take risks .

Risks were scary and often tricky but she'd beat those Balls of Pain and the stupid Gorilla at the Gorilla Club.

Tori Vega was a risk taker .

And she had proven Jade wrong which had been fun to gloat about for about a day .

Even sweet , sensitive Cat took more risks than she did and now even Robbie was leaping

Hadn't .Cat and Robbie taken the biggest risk of all when they fell in love with one another !

Like she had thought about Andre and herself at one time but now Tori just didn't know what to think about love anymore .

In an instant , everything she had known and believed was changing .

Hadn't her Grandma always said that she had her Dads attitude and her Moms disposition but what did that really mean ?

It was so unbelievably difficult to believe that her Mom would risk everything for another man and she didn't want to believe it . Trina wouldn't lie about important things .

That little voice in her head echoed her fears resonating with her own actions as well reminding her that she had basically done the same by kissing Beck back.

Her heart still belonged to Andre and always would but she made a stupid mistake for all of the wrong reasons .

The attention and the adoration was wonderful and it made her feel special .

Tori had never had that when she was at Sherwood .

Nope , there she was normal, boring ole Tori Vega who was a straight A student and dated Danny and had the wacky sister .

She was still a good student but she wasn't the same person that she used to be .

At Hollywood Arts, she was a singer , a leader , a part of the popular kids .

Guys were constantly asking her out .

Crap! Oh God , she wasn't completely blameless where Beck was concerned or Robbie for that matter . She had used flirting whenever she needed her friend to do something for her and Robbie being the nice guy that he would always did .

She probably was a bit flirtatious with Beck, in retrospect .

No wonder Jade hated her guts a lot and it was only because Cat was the sweetest girl on the planet that she wasn't angry about Robbie either .

Did Andre realize she was a natural born attention seeker ?

He had never once said a word and here she was one who went crazy nuts when he was with that horrible Sherry or Hope Quincy.

It wasn't just Trina and Mom who were acting like grunches,s she was just as equally a grunch as well ! Now this awful, bad thing was happening and suddenly Tori had lost all control of her life .

" I'm exactly like Mom "

Trina lifted her ear from the door , where she had been eavesdropping on their folks .

" I don't think so," corrected Trina ," You are just like Dad . I'm like Mom "

" You really believe its true, Trin?"

" I thought Dad was going to cry ," confessed Trina in a quiet voice that she rarely ever used ," I wish I could lie and tell you no but I cant do that to you, Tori. I wish I didn't have to tell you anything that I had heard ..I wish I hadn't heard it in the first place "

Tori rested her head against Trina's shoulder ." What are we going to do ?"

" I don't know , Tori, but it will somehow turn out alright "

" You're a terrible liar "

" You're an actress so pretend that I just made you feel better " quipped Trina , warmly .

Tori didn't think she was that good of an actress to pull it off .

Much to the girls dismay and shock, David and Holly's talk hadn't gone well.

Trina's spying had only helped them to cement that their mother had apparently been seeing Gary behind Dads back for a while now .

Trina was furious but Tori was just hurt and upset . It hadn't helped when their parents had talked with them , explaining they had been having some problems for a bit now and had decided to take a little break from each other .

Try some marriage counseling and go from there ….see what happened next .

By the time 7: 15 and school rolled around, Tori felt as if the rest of everything that she had known had finished crumbling into tiny , little pieces and she had no clue what to do to help to fix herself .

She sleepwalked through Sikowitz's class and hadn't the energy to explain to her friends why she wasn't talking to them or why Cat and Robbie's romantic acting scene had made her burst into tears and run out of class to the Black Box to think and wallow.

Tori just didn't know what to do or say to her friends and hiding out was good .

Couldn't figure out why she had always made a big thing about it when Cat did it…hiding out in the dark had its perks .

No one could watch her cry and it was private .

Why couldn't she be lucky enough to have Cat's positive , cheerful attitude on life ?

Right now she was pretty sure she was borrowing some of Jade's bitterness and anger .

Tori played with her Cuddle Me Kathy doll and wondered how she had missed her mom's odd behavior ?

Mom making breakfast for only herself had been kind of un-Mom like but she wasn't always home for breakfast so it didn't seem so out of place .

Trina never noticed things except for apparently this major doozie .

Andre opened the door slowly and let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the theatre, questioning himself only momentarily but knowing that Tori was hurting gave him the strength to push back his own issues and hurt because she needed him.

They could work on their own problems some other time .

He found Tori sitting on the edge of the stairs, that silly doll she loved since she was a little girl in her hands, and the saddest expression on her beautiful face .

" Hey "

Tori lifted her eyes and a moment of hope then weariness settled across her face when she saw who had joined her . " Andre," Spoke up Tori, hesitation in her voice ," what are you doing here ?"

Andre sat down beside her . " I came to check up on you ," answered an honest Andre ," Don't think I ever expected to see you burst into tears over Cat and Robbie's mushy love scene and then you ran out of class . Not exactly normal Tori behavior ….."

" I want to be alone "

" No, you don't ," Andre knew better ," I heard about what happened with your parents "

" Oh God, I am going to kill Trina for blabbing " declared Tori, twisting the bonnet .

" Chill down, girl, Trina was worried about you too ," went on Andre , matter of fact ," she told Cat about what went down with your folks . Cat told the rest of us …."

Tori buried her face in her hands and let out a little cry ." Couldn't you have sent Cat or maybe Jade ? You asked for space and I have been trying to give you what you need and you helping me cant be what you wanted to do about us ..ugh, I'm not making any sense '

She held her doll closer , refusing to give into the urge to just fall into his strong arms and let Andre make everything all better but she wouldn't do that to him.

Andre deserved better than her .

" So thanks but I would appreciate it if you could give me some space as well "

She bit her lip and wondered how angry he was because he was doing a good job of disguising it and she just didn't know how much longer she could keep this conversation going and not want to throw herself into his arms .

" Did you come to gloat ? Tell me that I deserve it ? Cause believe me, I know "

Tori was real bad messed up and this was much bigger and more important that winning a contest to meet Kesha . She was really torn apart over this and he understood this , he knew from his own experience about the pain and the hurt she was going through.

Andre laid his hand over hers and gave her a gentle smile . " No one deserves it , Tori ," stated Andre ," and I came because you're my friend and I love you "

She managed a wan smile and felt like crying ." I thought you hated me "

" Never ," replied an honest Andre , swallowing his pride and his pain ," didn't we agree that no matter what ..happened between us we would still be friends ?"

Tears welled in her eyes ." I am so sorry, Andre "

" You already told me that and I get that you are ," decided Andre , tamping down his own feelings that had resurfaced upon their closeness ," lets just leave it alone .

How are you really doing ?"

Tori shook her head and tossed the doll aside . " I have no idea at all ," cried out Tori," I don't have a clue …I'm a mess "

She wanted desperately to lean into him but was scared to. He was being kind and she didn't want to make things worse between them .

Andre placed a warm hand in her brown hair and blew out a breath. " You haven't lost your friends ," continued Andre ," and that includes me too , Tori "

" Even though I ruined everything " argued Tori, her thoughts scattered .

" Naw, I'll be alright and so will you " He smoothed her hair and felt her lean into him so he stepped back from her putting distance between them ," you want to tell me about it ?"

" Mom and Dad are taking a break ," Tori wanted to rest her head against his shoulder but knew that they weren't ready for that so she didn't ," I don't know if that means they are taking a break or separating . Its bad, Dre, its so not good that my mom is moving into a hotel ….tonight "

" Damn," swore Andre , reaching over to rub soothing circles across her back," I am so sorry about that, baby "

He caught himself and amended ," I meant , Tori "

She blinked through her tears and felt another wave of utter helplessness . " I just ..I don't understand any of it "

" I never did get the full story about what went down with my parents ," explained Andre , squeezing her hand ," I had my own ideas about it and they both had something different to say about it . I still don't …I do know that none of this is your fault , Tori "

" I don't know about anything anymore , Andre "

Andre decided he needed to lighten the mood before he got too much into the comforting her part and things got weird and awkward .

" You know everyone is really worried about you ," said Andre ," even Jade . I know that you're still upset but I think it would do you a world of good if you come out of here and hang with us at lunch. Let Cat have a go at trying to cheer you up…."

" You haven't been eating lunch with us " blurted out Tori, their eyes meeting and holding .

" It'll be cool ," reassured Andre , determined to be all mature about this whole situation .

Tori needed her best friend, not the boyfriend . Guess maybe he was the ex-boyfriend now ," trust me . We'll get some lunch and hang out and you'll feel better …."

Tori wiped at her eyes. " You and Beck made up ?"

" No, we did not but everything is cool ," told Andre because he and Beck could be civil ," besides lunch and all of your friends , I defiantly know of something that will cheer you up even more "

" I doubt it unless you have a time traveling machine handy so you can erase everything that is bad that has happened …"

" Fraid not but you might ask Robbie ," told Andre ," he has all those mad geek skills . Speaking of Robbie , tonight is the night he dumps Roxanne and finally makes it real with Cat . Way past time if you ask me ….." He chuckled , hoping that she would laugh but only managed a thin smile .

" Oh, I had almost forgotten about that ," admitted Tori , pressing her lips together in a line ," they act like a real couple now . Cat really hates that Robbie has been dragging his feet at breaking up with North Ridge .."

Good, that did the trick and took her mind off of her own problems for a bit .

Andre smiled at her . " you want me to maybe go get Cat ? You girls can go primp in the bathroom and maybe you could borrow a different shirt from Jade or something "

Tori looked down at her clothes - purple baseball shirt and a pair of black sweats .

" EW, I look gross "

" You don't look gross , just tired ," replied Andre ," but I really don't like that shirt on you three days in a row "

Tori jumped off of the stage , trying to straighten her messy hair and blowing out a breath.

" Thanks for this , Andre, but I am going to respect your wishes . You wont have to worry about me making anything more out of our friendship from now on "

" I wasn't worried about it ,Tori, I was worried about you " admitted Andre, quietly .

" Thanks ," Tori grabbed her backpack ," I needed to hear all of this but then you always know what I need " She let out another breath ," You can go to class now "

" What about lunch ?" asked Andre, hoping he'd talked her into that, at least .

" I have to make myself look better first ," declared Tori ," I cant handle Jade's insults today then I'll meet you at the Asphalt Café "

" Good "

With a wave , Tori grabbed her stuff , sent him a tentative smile and left the theatre .

Andre picked up the doll and sighed , heartily . " That was tough "

The toughest was yet to come and that was proving that he and Tori could return to the same friendship they had before they had gotten involved .

He was going to do everything in his power not to be a liar .


	24. Chapter 24

" So, tonight the night that Robbie is finally going to dump the grunch," brought up Jade as she sat across from Cat at their usual lunch table at the Asphalt café ," I still don't get why he hasn't dumped her bony North Ridge ass already so he can be with you "

Cat fiddled with her hair ." I told you that Robbie wants to break up with her in person "

" Sounds like he's stalling to me ," remarked jade, not unkindly ," are you okay with all of this , Cat ? Robbie can be a jerk, just like any other dude …."

" Well, …..I wish he'd broken up with her much sooner but I understand ," answered Cat , softly ," what ? I do understand …I just want it all over with so that that Robbie and I can finally really be together "

She lowered her voice ," I feel like a really bad girl , like Robbie and I have to hide in a corner if we want to kiss each other "

" Pretty sure everyone here already knows you and Robbie are together , Cat " stated Jade.

" Not officially …unofficially , yes " says Cat ," but its important we are real "

Meanwhile Beck and Robbie were getting lunch from Festus's truck and discussing the very same subject.

It and Cat were pretty much the only things on Robbie's mind .

" you and Jade seem different " pointed out Robbie ," less fighting "

" We both agreed we hated the fighting so we're trying not to fight as often " admitted Beck, honestly," but I feel like we're really good "

" Cool "

" So, Robbie ," broached a curious Beck," you going to dump Roxanne before Karaoke Dokee and surprise Cat ?"

He considered this , especially since he knew how much she loved surprises and this would be the ultimate one . However, he did have a actual plan and this time he intended to follow through with it and break up with Roxanne in his own way .

" I actually thought I would broach the subject on our relationship on the way there . I did try once before but I don't think she got my point …and I did promise her Karaoke Dokee . Roxie is still very upset about her grandfather and I'm trying to be as gentle as I can be , you know, considering the circumstances "

" You're still breaking up with the girl, dude " brought up Beck, simply .

" I know that but it doesn't have to be a mean break up " stated Robbie ,matter of fact ," besides I have a plan …"

Beck stared at him, dubiously ." I don't even know if I want to ask what exactly the plan is ," commented Beck," it is also a really good thing that Cat has patience and loves you like she does . If I was dragging my feet like you are, Jade would have already cut mine off "

He gestured to his feet ." I would be feetless and probably something else less too "

They exchanged knowing looks , made a face, and resumed their conversation .

" I wont botch this break up ," declared Robbie ," I am as anxious and excited to be with Cat , too, you know . "

" Roxanne will still probably hate you ," informed a helpful Beck ," no matter how ..gentle or whatever other tact you go with. Either way, she'll still hate you for breaking up with her …it's a fact "

" So, Kyra still hates you "

" Oh, yes , she does " agreed Beck, resigned to the fact," and I am fine with it . Just really glad that I have Jade back ….she is what is important "

" Come on , lets join the girls " said Robbie as he and Beck made their way over to the table and their women .

" Hey " Beck bent his head , covered Jade's mouth with his and slid her into a long kiss before sitting down beside her ," babe "

Her lips curved , happily , at him. " Mhm, coffee and a kiss ," muttered Jade , in low undertones ," how do I rate both ?"

" Because I missed you , Jade and want you to know it " answered Beck, gazing hotly into those blue eyes that always transfixed him and put him under her spell.

It was a place he didn't mind being lost in and it felt like they had months to make up for .

Which they actually really did -three long awful months apart had done wonders for them and both were careful not to fall into the same pattern that had torn them apart in the first place.

" This mean your going to get all sappy and romantic on me now, Beck ? " teased jade .

Beck moved in and nuzzled into her neck and felt her smile against his cheek .

" Maybe you deserve some romance ," whispered Beck, " even if you don't want it "

" Maybe we should leave .." spoke up Robbie , feeling as if they were invading their friends little love nest even though they were in the middle of lunch.

" Don't be silly , Robbie ," Cat leaned into him, placing her hand over his ," they cant help it if they are happy and in love again" She sighed and stared wistfully at him," I am soo happy that they are back together …."

Robbie slid an arm around her waist and smiled , lovingly at her . " Tonight that will be us , Cat . I promise …nothing is going to stop me "

" I cannot wait, Robbie " Cat couldn't resist stealing a soft kiss .

" Hey, you guys ," greeted Andre , who had brought Tori along with him," look who I found hiding out in the Black Box theater "

Tori addressed all her friends with a barely there smile as she sat across from Jade .

" Hey guys ," muttered Tori, quietly ," sorry I've been a ..mess "

" Tori, I am so-so sorry about what happened ," Cat engulfed her friend in a warm hug ," that is so awful and sad. "

" Thanks,Cat ," said Tori, taking a seat beside Andre ," the whole thing is such a shock "

" Sorry, Tori " acknowledged Jade , sincere sympathy in her tone of voice .

Her own home life sucked most of the time and she felt bad that Vega's parents were messed up. They had always seemed mostly normal to her so it sucked .

" We are here if you need us ….' volunteered Beck, aware that Andre wouldn't meet his gaze ," if you want to hang out or anything "

Jade resisted the urge to ask what that was supposed to mean- funny, how she no longer felt threatened by Tori and beck's friendship .

Maybe she had changed , a little bit .

" I'll just bet ….." muttered Andre, more to himself than anyone at the table .

" I'm a very good listener " added Robbie, wanting to help .

" Thanks, guys , but I just don't want to deal with it anymore here at school ," admitted Tori, " so can we please not talk about it anymore "

Andre stood up, suddenly ." You need to eat something, Tor . Be right back "

" I don't know if I have an appetite , Andre " protested Tori but he ignored her .

She turned her attention to Cat and Robbie ," So, Karaoke Dokee tonight .Are you siked or what ? "

" I am so dying to update my profile on the Slap with In a relationship with Robbie "

" You should just text dump her , Robbie " pointed out Tori, glad to have something to distract herself away from her own problems ," doesn't she check Slap and you ? Besides the picture of you and Cat that I posted, I saw three others of you guys being all lovey "

Cat held up her phone ," Mine are all on my phone . I want to post them but I haven't yet "

" I posted the others ," volunteered Jade , matter of fact ," figured if the North Ridge grunch saw how disgusting and in love Cat and Robbie have been being , she would save him the time and dump him finally so we can stop talking about this chizz "

" Your so helpful .." teased Beck, drawing her in for another kiss .

" What happened to the fighting and bickering ?" asked Tori, glancing around for Andre .

" We've been back together for 3 days , we're readjusting our relationship ," answered Beck," sure we'll get back to the bickering after a while "

" I'm sure that wont be a problem ….." trailed Jade, leaning against him. It still felt all new yet comfortable and neither one wanted to take advantage of the other ..they had done that and it had helped to destroy the relationship they had worked so hard to build .

This was their new beginning and it felt really good .

Robbie heaved a sigh," Thanks , Jade, but I don't think Roxie has been checking up on me . I almost wish she had ..might be easier and I wont text dump her because all you girls tell me only assholes do that "

" True but sometimes its necessary " Andre joined them, placing a plate of French fries down in front of Tori," Festus was out of pizza so I got you fries . Eat up, girl "

" Thanks, Andre, but I am not really hungry " said tori, reaching for a fry anyhow .

" What'd you have for supper last night ?" asked Andre, handing her a container filled with mayonnaise , which she loved to dip her French fries in.

Tori stole a drink from him and took a long sip. " I don't know ..I cant remember "

" So you probably didn't eat ," said Andre, knowingly ,' you cant starve yourself "

She sent him a grateful smile and dug into the fries with gusto . They hit the spot and wow, now that she was eating , she realized how hungry she was .

" Thanks, Dre, these are really salty and good " replied tori, forgetting herself and slipping into what was natural and easy with him.

" No problem," said Andre , trying to be cool," just eat your fries '

Sinjin stopped at their table, furtively eyeing all of the guys . " Will one of you help me with Trina ? I'll take any advice you have but being nice to her isn't getting me anywhere with her and I am desperate .."

" Hate to say this, man," said Andre , nicely ," but I don't think your Trina's type '"

" I refuse to believe that," commented Sinjin ," Robbie isn't Cat's type but she went for him . I will not give up on Trina ….whether you guys help me or not "

" I fell in love with Robbie ," offers Cat, helpfully ," I don't think you plan love , Sinjin . It just happens ..like magic "

" Well, I need the magic to make Trina love me " remarked Sinjin , spotting the older Vega sister bopping near some seniors ," wish me luck ."

Skipping merrily, Sinjin took off after his latest obsession , much to his friends dismay .

" That wont be pretty " commented Tori, knowing her sister as she did ," poor guy "

" So," Cat played with Robbie's fingers ," three and a half more hours until Robbie and I are officially in love and together . Yay "

6: 34 PM

Jade kissed beck eagerly, his hand cupping her cheek tenderly as they lost themselves in a passionate kiss and each other . They couldn't seem to get enough of each other which is why they were ten minutes late picking Cat up for karaoke Dokee .

" I love you " murmured Beck, kissing the shell of her ear and felt her shiver .

" I love you too " admitted Jade , resting her head against his chest ," you know we should probably talk about Tori ..just so we're clear , you know "

Beck kissed her temple. " Is my friend and nothing more "

" I know and she is sort of my ..friend too ," said reluctant Jade ," not sure how that happened but then again, stranger things have happened "

" Like Cat falling for Robbie "

" I don't find that strange , I thought it might happen eventually with those two " told jade

She breathed in the masculine smell of his cologne and sighed, happy ," you weren't happy with me before , Beck. I wasn't happy either and I don't want a repeat of that …."

" Your going to talk to me instead of running away this time " said Beck

" That is what I am doing, Beck " Jade nestled into him," and I get why you and Tori kissed . It was a mistake and a stupid one but you are the one for me . Not her ."

" The stupidest mistake besides Kyra .." allowed Beck, leaning in for another kiss .

" Have you been out here making out all this time ," spoke up Cat , joining them in the car ," I wondered why you didn't answer my texts . We should hurry and get to the club….I don't want to miss Robbie "

" Hi Cat " Beck smiled at her ," you aren't going to miss Rob. He isn't going to leave "

" I know but still….I am really , really nervous about tonight " says Cat, playing with a strand of red hair," he's reassured me and everything but he never told me his plan. I didn't think guys planned how to dump girls ….course, I know Robbie doesn't want to hurt her feelings but he doesn't love Roxanne . He loves me "

" Robbie is probably just nervous about breaking up with her ," told Beck," you know how he and Rex had that weird thing about North Ridge girls . I figure his psyche is playing with his nerves ..'

" Oh how deep, Beck " this came from Jade then turned her attention to her best friend ," don't confuse her even more "

She noticed that Cat was dressed very feminine like and commented ," I thought you were going to go all sexy tonight and remind Robbie that you're a hot girl too "

" Uh, well, ..no ," says Cat, thoughtfully ," I don't need to remind Robbie of that . He loves me for me too and besides the song I am singing isn't really sexy . "

" It's a love song and besides Robbie likes this dress . He has said so before "

" I think you look very nice , Cat " contributed Beck, hoping the little redhead wouldn't worry herself into an anxiety attack before the night even begun.

Cat smiled softly at him. " Thanks, Beck "

" Jade, you don't think Robbie will really break up with Roxanne ? Is that why you think I should sing a sexy song and look all sexy too? You don't believe he loves me "

" Sure , I mean, Robbie is crazy about you ," said Jade , her tone sharp ," however looking extra hot couldn't hurt either …."

Beck placed a hand on Jade's knee and squeezed. " Jade "

" I am just saying that whatever goes down tonight, baby girl, I got your back "

" Thanks, jade ," says Cat ," I guess I am just really nervous and afraid about being in the same room as Roxanne when Robbie tells her the truth about us "

" Everything will be alright " reassured Beck," I've got Rob's back, too "

He hoped like hell that Robbie really did know what he was doing tonight or it could get really ugly .

Tori couldn't wait to leave this brand new hell that had overnight become her life.

Holly had been waiting for her and Trina once they had arrived home from school so that they could talk and listen with more clarity than the night before .

She wanted the chance to explain better so that the girls could understand .

" You don't need to explain, Mom," remarked an angry Trina, who wanted to hear nothing ," I get what an affair is and that you cheated on Dad. Really pretty simple "

With her say out in the open, Trina ran upstairs to her bedroom, leaving Tori alone with their mother .

" Tori, baby," Holly concentrated on her younger daughter , who was the more sensible of her girls ," surely you must realize that I never planned for this to happen. I do still love your father but .in life …things sometimes happen we have no control over "

" I don't know , Mom " hedged Tori , uncertainty in her voice ," I don't even understand why you were texting Gary instead of Dad in the first place. It makes no sense …"

" I was trying to get hold of your father ," started Holly ," Gary and I ..it was harmless flirting at first . Then it ..it just snowballed into a kiss and something else "

She appraised Tori, carefully ," Cant you understand that , sweetheart ? Isn't that what happened with you and Beck ?"

Outrage then mortification drained the color from her face as Tori covered her face with her hands as if it would make everything disappear .

Only it didn't .

" How do you know about that ? Nooooo, it isn't like that ! I made a HUGE, HUGE mistake and Beck and I knew right after we kissed that we were wrong ! I am not with Beck and I will never be ….ever "

" You don't even know what this did to Andre and me ? It ruined us , just killed us "

" Calm down, honey ," Holly tried to soothe her , realizing she had only made things worse instead of better ," I heard enough of your conversation with your sister to get the gist of things and honestly, my own situation isn't all that much different "

" You want Dad back ? "

" Of course I do, Tori! I have always loved David and I still do " swore Holly

Just then Tori's phone blasted 'Song TO You " and Tori practically jumped , happily .

Thank God, Andre was here !

" I have to go …now " Tori didn't give her mom a chance to respond as she grabbed her purse , ran out the house and all but threw herself into his car ," Andre , I am so happy to see you! Thank you so much for picking me up ….Mom was trying to explain about her and Gary. It was so awful ….I don't think its ever been that terrible before "

She sighed , heavily ." Maybe I should try drinking …that suppose to ease the pain. Right ? I think I could tolerate wine ..I had some at a wedding a few times and it wasn't too terrible "

Andre covered her hand with his own and sent her a smile ." Tori Vega looking for some alcohol ? I don't think you want to be going down that road . You hate being sick and throwing up ….how about I stop off at a Handy Quick for some hot cocoa ? "

Tori's own smile was sad and tired ." That used to be our thing "

Andre looked away and managed a heart heavy sigh of his own. Everything was a reminder of what they used to be it seemed .

They couldn't win for losing . " How about a slushie instead ?"

" No, I'll be fine," replied Tori ," I think just hanging out and watching Robbie dump the gank for Cat ought to cheer me up. Don't you think so ?"

" Well, it ought to be interesting " deduced Andre ," I have a bad feeling though "

" What bad ?"

" Robbie and Cat both cant stand controversy ," explained Andre ," and I'm afraid Rob's stupid plan is gonna blow up in his face "

" I hope not "

Andre squeezed her hand ," I think you should sing tonight . Might do you good "

" I just might ," admitted Tori ," somehow Freak the Freak Out feels appropriate since I am really feeling the freak out myself "

Their eyes held , heat and longing simmering between them, before they both pulled away from the intensity . They couldn't forget that they were no longer a couple .

" You were so understanding while I was away, Robert ," Roxanne sent him a dazzling smile as she clutched at his hand ," It was just ..such a terrible time …I cant even hardly talk about it yet with you. I know you must have been annoyed with me when I never answered your texts back …." She moved closer to him," I am just so happy to be back In Hollywood with you "

Robbie removed her hand and placed his own on the steering wheel , his whole body tense and nervous . He had been trying to end things with her since he had picked her up ten minutes ago but nothing seemed to be registering with her .

" I've done a lot of thinking ..about us while you were away ," brought up Robbie, trying again ," I was unsettled after our last conversation we had before the party , Roxanne "

She cocked a arched brow at him. " I notice that you didn't bother straightening your hair for me tonight . It's all messy and curly , Robert "

" Nope, no, I didn't ," answered Robbie ," I didn't want to straighten it . This is me, the curly haired, glasses wearing geek is me ..the nerd that I thought you liked when we first met " He glanced at her , curiously ," Now ..now I am not so sure anymore "

He pulled into a space , parking beside Beck's GTO , smiling with the knowledge that his friends were already inside waiting for them and more importantly, Cat .

" Looks like some of my friends are here already "

" I do not know what you are insinuating , Robert, but I am not going to let you ruin our evening out with your friends ," informed Roxanne , grabbing her sequined purse and all but dragging him towards the club ," however it can keep until later "

" This is important and you might not want to spend time hanging out after I have my say ," pushed on Robbie ," the thing is ..and I have felt like this for a while now , I don't feel as if you and I have a connection with each other "

" You cant be serious , Robert ! We are hardly Finn and Rachel, pu-leeze , that is absurd "

" I know that ," went on Robbie ," but the fact is and you know it too, we don't want the same things in life or maybe I thought I did at first but I was wrong . I just…I don't think that we are suited ..for each other "

The geek was trying to break up with her ? Well, she would see about this as any break up was going to be with her rules and in her own way and not before she had her fun.

" Robert, we already talked about this before ," said an annoyed Roxanne ," I swear, I leave you all by yourself for a couple of days and you go stupid on me "

" I am not stupid " stated an angry Robbie ," and I am being as serious as cheese "

" Well, you cant even afford brie and this is a waste of time ," cut in Roxanne , " and oh my God, I love this car. This is a classic . You need something like this , Robert, instead of this piece of junk you drive …"

Robbie bit the inside of his jaw . " That is Beck's car ," told Robbie, matter of fact ," my friend who helped me fix up this heap of junk you don't like . You haven't met Beck or his girlfriend, Jade and …and Cat is with them "

She tossed her blonde hair off of her shoulders and adjusted her diamond bracelet on her arm.

" Your friends that just got back together after a nasty break up ?"

" That would be Beck and Jade " agreed Robbie as they went inside the club , which was still too early to be packed so it was easy to spot his friends at a table .

" Hey Rob " called Beck in a greeting , waving them over to join them.

" Hey " greeted Jade , sending a evil smirk at Robbie's girlfriend on principal .

" Hello ," said Roxanne in a saccharine tone ," thanks for getting us the tables . Robert was running late picking me up this evening ….."

" So, I'm Beck and this is my girlfriend, Jade "

" Nice to meet you both ," smiled Roxanne," Robert talks all of the time about his friends but we spend more time with mine in North Ridge it seems "

Robbie drowned them out and his eyes found Cat and they shared a tender smile .

" Cat "

" Did you and she …is it over yet ? Cause it doesn't seem like it to me " murmured Cat, softly. She had only been in the room with Roxanne for five minutes and already she wanted to yell at the North Ridge girl that his name was 'Robbie '.

" I swear, Cat, I am trying to " insisted Robbie ," but I will before the night is over "

" Oh …okay " says Cat, smoothing her lips in a thin line of worry .

" We got two tables ," explained Beck, " Andre and Tori might show "

" Together ? " questioned a dubious Robbie ," I thought she rode home with Trina after school and you know how she hates that …"

" Andre is picking her up " informed Jade as if it was nothing out of the ordinary .

Beck stared perplexed at his girlfriend. " How do you know this ? "

He hated that things were still so tense between him and Andre that they could barely talk.

Jade rolled her eyes ." Andre texted me about it when I told him we weren't picking Tori up "

" We had room for Tori ," brought up Beck, " we could have swung by for her too "

" We were picking up Cat "

" My car has plenty of room ," reminded Beck ," and I thought you were over the whole Tori thing . Didn't we just have this discussion ? "

" I am over it and we did ," countered Jade ," but it wont kill Andre to pick up Tori "

" Uh, guys ," says Cat, all the while her gaze never leaving Robbie," you said that you weren't going to fight "

Beck put an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder ." We're not fighting "

" It sounded like you were " conceded Robbie , who hated fighting of any kind .

" We weren't fighting ," said a confident Jade then took in the expensive red strapless dress Roxanne was wearing ," so, Roxie , did you forget this is a karaoke club ? Cause the streets you walk are back in North Ridge …."

Beck shook his head and sent Robbie an apologetic look. " Jade , no, please , don't "

Cat giggled then covered her mouth with her hand to stop. " Jade "

" You might intimidate the weak geeks at Hollywood Arts, Jade , but don't think for a minute you scare me ," retorted Roxanne ," you don't . Robert mentioned that you have a twisted and bitter sense of humor ….and now I see that is true "

" Robbie ?' Jade glared at her friend .

" I said wicked, Jade ," corrected Robbie , hoping not to make her furious ," I never used the word twisted. "

" Sure you did, Rob, but your girlfriend here doesn't know me so she wouldn't be as smart " replied Jade , wanting nothing more to wipe that pretend niceness right off of Roxanne's face cause North Ridge didn't know the meaning of the word .

" I don't want to fight with you, Jade ," said Roxanne, evenly ," Robert and I came here to spend a nice evening out with his friends and get to know each other better "

" He knows Cat better …."

Beck held out a chair for Roxanne and tried to defuse the situation before Jade decided to try to kill Roxanne instead . " So since Andre and Tori are apparently on their way over here together , why don't we maybe get some drinks and talk "

" You are very , very charming, Beck " flirted Roxanne , leaning forward " sexy hair too "

Jade contemplated cutting his hair but kept her mouth shut . Beck was devoted to her .

" Jade is my girlfriend ," Beck held her closer , as if to reassure her of the truth of his words ," and we are real good but thanks for the compliment "

" All the ganks love my boyfriends hair ," muttered Jade , meeting Roxanne's gaze ," you want to hear about what I used to do to them when they hit on him in front of me ?"

" I wasn't hitting on him, " corrected Roxanne , lying through her teeth," don't be ridiculous . I have Robert …"

Cat refrained from yelling at the mean gank but didn't want to make a scene .

" So, Beck ," Roxanne tried to change the subject as quick as she could ," tell me how exactly did you and my boyfriend meet ?"

" Oh God " groaned Jade , bored already . Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Robbie and Cat hadn't moved to the table but were staring lovingly at each other.

" Uh, about four years ago when we auditioned for Hollywood arts ," explained Beck, grateful that Jade hadn't thrown down or cut up the girl yet ," We were in line together "

While Beck was telling the tale, Robbie was transfixed by how lovely Cat looked .

She wore a short cotton candy pink dress with a little lace insert on the bodice, white high heels , and her red hair was pulled back by combs with the rest loose around her shoulders .

Cat had worn it to the free Kesha concert .

" You look so pretty , Cat . Pretty in pink " replied Robbie , catching himself from moving closer to her and holding her close .

" Thank you ," murmured Cat, her eyes downcast then slid upwards to smile at him," you wore the blue sweater . I've always liked it on you …."

" I didn't know that …." admitted Robbie , lowering his voice ," I should buy more "

Her brown eyes sparkled , teasingly ." You let little kids eat me so I didn't tell you "

" I learned the hard way and I wont let that happen again " muttered Robbie , honestly .

" Robert, you and Cat are being rude ,' interrupted Roxanne ," why don't you join us "

" Robbie and I were just having a chat …" says Cat , sitting on the other side of the table .

" I could only imagine about what …" said Roxanne , sharply as Robbie took a seat beside her , uncomfortably ," you know this is one of the most popular clubs in North ridge . I actually go to school with the owners daughter …."

" They are a bunch of mean morons " Cat decided of Haley and Tara . She glanced around the club as if expecting the girls to come prancing out on stage an minute now .

" Talent less morons " grinned Jade , loudly ," do you sing , Roxanne ?"

" Maybe a little " said Roxanne , evenly ," unlike all of you wannabe's at Hollywood Arts, I don't feel the need to burst into song to prove my talent "

Jade gripped Beck's hand , tightly ." I'd like to break something "

" You aren't going to sing ," interrupted Cat , " I already have a song picked out "

" of course ," Roxanne forced the redheads gaze with a intent look ," you came all by your lonesome, Cat ? Such a shame that you couldn't find a date ….."

Cat held on tight to her purse strap and fought back her own emotions right now .

" There is only one boy that I want to be with …"

" Oh God, here it comes " groaned Beck, under his breath .

" Good girl " Muttered jade, encouraging her best friend to speak her mind .

" I am soo thirsty," interrupted Robbie ," I think we should order some drinks . Cat, why don't you and I go find a waitress and give them our soda orders "

" The place isn't that big , Robbie ," pointed out Cat ," I think the waitress will see us "

" Well, look who is hiding in a corner ," Haley Ferguson approached the table with confidence and ego ," Roxanne , I thought I saw you but what on earth are you doing with the Hollywood Arts amateurs "

Roxanne smiled , coyly. " Hals , I told you I have been dating Robert . He's from HA "

Haley nodded and lifted her gaze to Robert . " Didn't you sing with a puppet ?"

" That was a long time ago " informed Robbie, quickly ," and you rigged the contest "

Haley ignored him and slid her eyes towards the redhead ." We do things a little differently these days ," told Haley," Cat , were you and Jade going to sing tonight ? "

" I have a song ready, yes " answered a distracted Cat, watching as Roxanne tried to hold Robbie's hand . He didn't look really pleased about it and it still hurt to see it .

" Maybe Tara and I will give you a run for the money this time around " commented Haley , lifting her chin ," we've been taking singing lessons since then …."

" We don't want any trouble now " spoke up Andre as he led Tori over to the table .

Immediately he found that one of the girls old enemies had already spotted them and was trying to goad Cat by the sounds of things . Not to mention that the vibe around the table was buzzing with tension that almost had him grabbing Tori and turning back around .

" Well, well, Andre , isn't it ?" flirted Haley , flashing him a dazzling smile ," I remember you too . Tara will be glad to see you " She paused ," I don't want any trouble here either . Dad would not be happy with me if I challenged you all again and I don't want to be grounded again ….I just stopped over to say hello "

" Well, that is good " Tori sat down by Cat ," cause we don't want any either . "

" How about some buffalo nuggets ?" brought up Andre , breaking the tension in the air .

" They do have awesome buffalo nuggets here " agreed Beck, helping him.

" Food is good " told Jade ," I could eat "

" The calories and the fat are so high in those , Rox ," said Haley ," you'll want the veggie platter . I'll see you guys later…."

" Thanks for the tip " said Roxanne , with a slight nod . She needed to find a ideal way to humiliate Cat as well as Robbie in the next hour or so that would cause a spectacle .

With a pointed stare, Haley went in search of Tara to give her the heads up .

" Robbie , will you share some nachos with me ?" asked Cat , quietly .

" Sure " answered Robbie , sending her a smile then meeting Andre and Tori's baffled looks ," so, gangs all here now . We are really glad that you came , Tori "

" I didn't want to be alone in the house with Trina " managed Tori, with a nervous laugh," you know , this place seems kind of dead . Maybe we should have gone to Nozu for food and karaoke tonight …."

" I can only stand so much sushi " commented Roxanne in a bored tone ," and I have never been here before . Did Robert tell you he treated me to the new Italian restaurant before I left for Seattle ? He does know how to treat a girl well …"

Cat dropped her purse on the table , loudly . " Robbie . His name is Robbie "

" Anyone want to dance ?' asked Andre , concern etched across his face ," cause I am thinking whatever this song is playing has got some solid beats . How about it , Cat ?"

It was rare for Cat to get angry but she was working on it tonight it appeared .

She didn't even look at her friend ." No thanks, Andre, I don't want to dance "

" I prefer to call him Robert ," stated Roxanne ," Robbie sounds like a child "

" Hey, I am not a kid ," spoke up Robbie ," I am 17 years old ! Cat is right though about my name , Roxanne , it is Robbie "

" Robert has more class than Robbie " retorted Roxanne ," though I imagine you wouldn't know anything about that. Would you, Cat ?"

" I knew this was going to be fun " enthused an excited Jade , listening with rapt attention .

" I am starved ," Beck tried to diffuse the situation ," where is that waitress ? Think Andre was right about us needing to eat . Don't you think so, guys ?"

" I don't think now is the time for food , it's just getting good " remarked Jade .

Tori bit her lip and looked at Andre. Dancing was sounding better than food and this distracting wasn't working when she was afraid that Cat was going to say something she might possibly regret later . " Cat , do you have to go to the bathroom ? Jade ? Cause I think a trip to the ladies room is right about now …"

" No '

" You go on, Tori " urged Cat then focused back on the evil girlfriend ," I know that you shouldn't try to change the person you love "

" you are so naïve " scoffed Roxanne ," though I imagine all that red dye has destroyed what brain cells you have left else why would you pick a fight with me over my boyfriends name ?"

" DON'T , Roxanne ," warned Robbie , dropping her hand ," don't say another word like that to Cat "

The air vibrated around the table with the pull of emotions and tension just radiated and bounced between the three involved .

" This is all about Cat ," accused Roxanne , eyes blazing with indignation ," I should have known it was all going to come around to the girl you cant stop talking about "

Tori turned to Andre , desperate ." I cant bear to watch this or I will lose it ! Please , Dre, please dance with me "

Andre hesitated only a second and against his judgment took her hand and led her to the dance floor . A couple on the stage was singing something about 'pretending ' which he found so ironic but Andre knew he couldn't refuse Tori either .

" Slow song " Andre let out a nervous laugh and took her into his arms," not the beat I was listening to..but I suppose it will do "

She slid her arms around her neck." I'm sorry ," apologized Tori, relaxing into his arms and momentarily forgetting it wasn't real anymore ," I just couldn't handle another fight tonight . Even if it is Cat ….I just don't want to think about anything serious "

He caressed her back and she warmed at his touch. " You know I don't think we've ever slow danced before …all the times we've danced together "

Tori studied the handsome angles and planes of his face and licked her lips. " Andre "

" Think we ought to follow along with the words of this song ," mused Andre , inhaling her sexy perfume ," not thinking about the serious stuff . Just dancing and buffalo nuggets and hanging with our friends …."

She pressed her face against his and sighed ," Pretending "

" MHM " murmured Andre, calling himself every kind of fool known to man but right now the time felt right just holding her . She needed held and he had been a punk nut before and this couldn't hurt anything .

They were just two friends dancing and pretending .

Back at the table, Robbie had about had enough and fought an inner battle with himself over how to handle Roxanne. His plan wasn't going at all like he had imagined .

" Don't say one more word about Cat ," warned Robbie , strongly ," you don't know her at all, Roxanne, and I will not allow you to sit here and bad mouth her "

" You really want to have this out now ? In front of your friends, Robert ?"

" I have been trying to talk to you in private but you keep avoiding the subject ," argued Robbie ," so , yeah, I guess here is as good a place as any to talk "

" Fine "

Beck turned to Jade ,' I think we should also dance "

" I don't want to miss this show ," said an excited Jade ," I want to see Cat's claws come out for a change , Beck "

" We are dancing " Beck didn't give her time to argue , just took her hand and they joined Tori and Andre on the not so crowded dance floor ," they need to handle this on their own "

" Cat might need back up " admitted a slightly worried Jade," that gank crawled out from under a rock so she's pure evil . I don't know how much backbone Cat has up for this kind of fight , Beck "

Beck kissed her , swiftly ." I love all these new sides of Jade west as much as I love the rest of you "

" Don't tell her but Cat is a really good friend " admitted Jade , wrapping herself around him.

" Your secret is safe with me " assured Beck, holding her close and moving to the music .

Andre lifted his gaze from Tori and accidentally met Beck's eyes. He nodded as did his former best friend and both wondered how girls fixed all the rifts between them .

Even Tori and Jade had managed to sustains some new friendship .

Neither one of them got it or knew how to bypass the bro code and go to normal.

Cat watched her friends dance and sighed as Robbie and Roxanne continued to argue .

She felt anxiety begin to build in the pit of her stomach and tried to breathe.

" I have tried so hard to be who you want me to be ," Robbie continued ," I almost ignored everything that my heart was telling me . I thought you were everything that I wanted , Roxanne , but I was so wrong …."

" You cannot be serious ! Guys would kill to be with me ! "

" I thought I would to but I was wrong about a lot of things ," went on Robbie ," don't you think I wanted to feel things for you ? I tried so hard …look at you ? You are gorgeous and I am me but I cant be who you want me to be "

" I want to be with Cat and I have for a long time now . I fell in love ….I am in love with her "

Cat sighed ," Oh Robbie "

" Like that ditz is going to be with you for long , Robert . You are delusional "

" Robbie , listen to my song " interrupted Cat , making her way to the stage .

She knew it was important that he understand completely how she felt about him and maybe it might make it easier if she explained it to Roxanne as well .

She really hated any type of confrontations and she was afraid it was coming .

Cat told the dj her song and the lilting music began to drift into the club as she moved towards Robbie and began to voice her deepest feelings .

**When the rain is blowing in your face,**

And the whole world is on your case ,

I could offer you a warm embrace ,

To make you feel my love

Robbie turned his head and his eyes connected with Cat , love shining between them.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear

And there is no one there to dry your tears

I could hold you for a million years

To make you feel my love

Love had swept her away but she would never regret a minute of the wonderful feeling of falling in love with Robbie but he needed to be free to make up his mind .

I know you haven't made your mind up yet

But I would never do you wrong

I've known it from the moment that we met

No doubt in my mind where you belong

Robbie felt his heart rush and his brain was all kinds of crazy dizziness that was love .

He had no doubts .

I'd go hungry , I'd go black and blue

I'd go crawling down the avenue

No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do

To make you feel my love

Pouring the rest of herself , all heart and soul into the song, Cat sang only to him, oblivious to whatever else was going around them .

The storms are raging on the rolling sea

And on the highway of regret

Though winds of change are blowing wild and free

You aint seen nothing like me yet

He said her name ever so softly and felt her touch his heart , ever so gently .

I could make you happy , make your dreams come true

Nothing that I wouldn't do

Go to the ends of the Earth for you

To make you feel my love

Cat moved off the stage , standing in front of Robbie , love shining bright in her eyes and sang , quietly ," To make you feel my love '

" You really feel all of that for me ?" asked Robbie , because it still sometimes felt like a wonderful dream but oh, he did believe her .

" Of course I do, silly ," says Cat ," I love you , Robbie "

" Well isn't this touching ," Roxanne faced Cat , rage burning in her eyes," but you have a lot of nerve, Cat , serenading my boyfriend . He is still mine , you know "

" That was beautiful " Tori was flooded with a jumbled mess of mixed up feelings all over the place as she let go of Andre and on a sob, ran out of the club.

" Tori , where are you going ?" demanded a shocked Andre , torn .

Beck and Jade stared pointedly at him. " Why are you just standing there like a dead doorknob ? " demanded jade , her eyes flicking over to Cat, Robbie and the gank .

" I don't know …." hesitated Andre , knowing he was having a difficult time following his be friends thing when all he wanted to do was kiss her mad .

" Go get her , dude " encouraged Beck , gesturing for the door ," you drove so you know she isn't going anywhere "

Andre considered arguing with Beck about telling him what to do but knew Tori was more important . He sighed and hit the door , his eyes searching for Tori, who was holding herself and crying .

His heart ached and bled for her .

" Tor , baby , come on ," Andre's voice was soft ," don't cry "

" I'm sorry , I am so sorry ,' Tori couldn't think straight ," oh my God , Cat really loves Robbie . My heart just hurts ….I had that …we ..I thought that was us "

His heart thudded painfully against his chest as his mind and heart battled for control .

Andre's thinking wasn't clear either but he couldn't handle this distance between them.

The girl needed him and so, Andre crossed the distance between them and took her in his arms, holding her close and felt her arms around his neck.

" Dre …." Tori let out a hiccup as she gave herself into the crying jag she had been fighting and wrestling with . In his arms , his strength supporting her , she cried for what had happened between them , her parents, her family and everything .

" It's going to be alright, baby ," Andre smoothed her brown tresses," I promise '

She sniffled and through her tears , she met his gaze " How ?"

" Cause I'm not going anywhere , Tori," swore Andre , passionately ," we will get you through this . You are so strong, I have always loved that about you "

Tori bit her lip ," It hurts soo much …even Cat's sappy love song makes me sad "

Andre pushed her hair behind her ear and wiped a tear away ." Your human, Tori "

" I ….I shouldn't need you like I do …not after …I was so wrong "

The air pulsated between them and without thinking , without processing their actions, Andre crashed his lips onto hers as if he was a dying man and she was his water , his soul, his earth. Tori sighed and answered his kisses eagerly , focusing only on him.

Andre made her feel .

Everything was right at this moment when she was in his arms and his lips were on hers .

She clung to him, desperately and kissed him back feverishly , living .

Suddenly Andre released her , breathing heavy, and realizing he was one second away from forgetting everything and throwing her in the back of his car and giving in to the passion they were sharing . Except it would be wrong and despite how much he still loved and wanted her , sex would only complicate matters worse.

" Tori, stop, Tori …." Andre dragged a hand through his dreads and tried to breath and not look at her ," we gotta stop . Lost my head ….shouldn't have done that "

Realization hit Tori squarely in the face as if someone had dumped cold water on her .

She had lost all control there !

" No, it was me ," Tori felt red color her face ," I shouldn't have jumped you. That isn't giving you space ..that's me acting like a grunch "

Andre tried to find some semblance to hold onto and he could fake the rest .

" You were upset ," Andre found his voice ," you needed to cry . We…lets just say we got carried away in the moment and leave it at that "

" I think it was probably more than that, Andre " muttered Tori, softly .

" I think we ought to go back inside now " Andre moved in hugging her ," see, we're fine . You need to dry your tears ? I got another shoulder …."

" I think I'm fine now " said Tori, trying to forget that she was shaking from his touch .

" Let's get back inside .." Careful to keep their distance , afraid of another mind blowing kiss, Andre and Tori sighed and walked back into Karaoke Dokee .

" I should have broken up with you weeks ago but I was a coward, Roxanne " declared Robbie ," I thought I could try to make us work but I couldn't . I couldn't because I love Cat …..we never planned on falling in love "

" You want to break up with me ? I don't think so, ROBBIE. Look at what I have done for you ! I made you cool, before me, you were nothing but a stupid nerd "

" W..what ? You cant honestly say you are happy with our relationship, Roxie ? I wasn't and you were trying to make over me every other damn day ..that isn't love "

" Maybe you were so busy with Cat, you couldn't see what was right in front of your face ! I am not stupid, Robert, I saw all of the pictures of you and the little tramp on the Slap. God, look what I have done to prove that I want to be with you ? I put my whole reputation on the line to be with you" argued Roxanne, her words stinging him," what can she do for you ? "

" No," Cat raised her voice ," No, don't you dare make Robbie feel guilty for breaking up with you. Maybe it was wrong for us to fall in love but I don't really think so because it feels very right " She swallowed the lump in her throat ," its because its real and its true love . What you have been doing to Robbie …its..its so wrong "

Roxanne advanced on the petite girl, challenging her ." You really want to take on me, Cat ? You have no idea who you are dealing with …I will ruin you "

" Girls, please, you shouldn't fight …" interrupted a worried Robbie, glancing from Cat to Roxanne , who looked super pissed and had him afraid for the girl he loved .

" Tell Robbie the truth or I will ….." warned Cat, a tremble in her tone .

" Cat, sweetie , what are you talking about ?" asked a clueless Robbie, baffled .

" Well its no wonder you didn't want to be intimate with me , Robert ," remarked Roxanne ," clearly you've been sleeping with the little slut "

A shocked 'oh" crossed Cat's face and she felt some of her bravado leave her .

" I am not ," sputtered Cat ," we haven't been …..you stop lying to Robbie "

" Just what do you think you have on me ? " dared Roxanne , amused .

The self assured , nearly smug smile on Roxanne's face and poor Robbie's confusion was all the push that Cat needed to speak her mind .

" I know the truth about you ," says Cat, her whole body trembling as she noticed her friends flanking them ," I know it has all been nothing but a big lie with Robbie . "

Roxanne laughed ," You are out of your mind "

" You are a liar ," blurted out Cat ," Trina overheard you at the party and told me . I know that you have been lying to Robbie about why you are dating him…tell him the real reason "

Tori let out a moan," Oh Cat, you listened to Trina ! "

" You are mad ," dismissed Roxanne , trying to move towards Robbie ," Robert, you cant seriously believe this crap ? We may not be in love but I think our relationship is moving places ….and I can forgive you her "

" Cat doesn't lie ," Robbie moved closer to her ," is what Trina said at the party true ?"

" Tell him the truth , tell him that your grandfather isn't dead , and that you weren't with the family in Seattle " ordered Cat, her stomach in absolute knots from nerves .

Robbie stared into Cat's eyes. " How do you know all of this ?"

" Trina told me what she heard ," explained Cat ," and I called Gibby with our condolences . He told me the truth and I had thought that Roxanne would have a change of heart and stop lying to you, Robbie "

" This little innocent act wont get you anywhere , honey ," tossed out Roxanne ," good girls really do finish last . " she chuckled ," You want the truth ? At first I thought it might be fun to have Robert as my geeky boy toy and he is very accommodating '

" It's true ? You have been lying to me from the beginning ?" asked Robbie

" Having my own train a geek was fun," continued Roxanne, touching his shoulder ," but I couldn't resist the challenge Haley and Tara put out there if I could make you do my bidding . "

" I met them one time ," muttered Robbie ," I don't understand "

" They wanted revenge ," voiced Beck, " how did they figure Robbie fit into this ?"

" I don't know , they've been stalking Cat's Slap page and figured out something was going on between Robbie and her ," dismissed Roxanne ," Rex had already introduced Robbie to me via the internet and it all just fell into place ."

" It was all a lie ? Everything ? " demanded Robbie , needing to know .

" I am a very talented actress ," laughed Roxanne, huskily ," and it was amusing . "

" You never even cared about hurting Robbie's feelings ," says Cat , bursting ," it was all a mean, horrible game to you. Why would you lie about your own Grandpa dying ? "

" I needed a break from him," shrugged Roxanne ," its exhausting . How did you even figure that out ? You are such a dim-wit , I have to admit I certainly never expected you to have a clue about anything "

Cat struggled to keep her emotions in check and fought the urge to cry .

" We know Gibby "

" I've heard enough ,Roxanne," stated Robbie, firmly ," I don't need to hear anymore .

We are finished . God, I should have broken up with you weeks ago but I was a coward and a fool. "

" However, you did help me win a trip away from here" remarked Roxanne

" Roxanne, do not say one more rude thing to Cat " stated Robbie ," I just…I cannot believe this "

I think we are finished here, thank God ," Roxanne grabbed her purse and walked over to the redhead ," the nerd is all yours, little girl . " She couldn't resist one last parting shot ," Oh, and I don't suppose Robert mentioned that he and I almost had sex "

" No" Cat's hand shot out and without thinking, she brought her fist around, punching the North Ridge devil in the nose .

" Way to go, Cat ! " Jade stepped forward, eager to help except beck held her back.

" Let Cat handle this ," whispered Beck," she's doing just fine on her own "

Roxanne wiped the blood from her nose and glared daggers ." You bitch ! "

" Robbie already told me the truth ," declared Cat, shakily ," just..just leave "

Robbie moved forward, slipping his hands around Cat's waist ." You heard her "

" You are so totally through with North Ridge when I am finished skewering you , Robert ," tossed out Roxanne, angrily ," you wont be able to tutor anywhere but HA "

Having one last toss of her blonde hair, Roxanne headed towards the door .

" That was awesome, you guys " spoke up an amazed Tori ," really , really great "

" I still cant believe she would lie for a month " commented Andre ," that's some pretty sick chizz , Robbie "

" Is it finally over ?" asked Cat, in a small voice as she peered up at Robbie , love in her brown eyes for him.

Robbie smiled, lovingly, and took her into her arms ." Completely over "

" Oh good " sighed Cat , as she kissed him, softly ," finally its you and me "

Robbie kissed her nose ." Cat , wanna go steady with me ?"

Her lips curved in a delighted smile ," Yes , yes, and yes ! I thought you'd never ask "

" Roxanne, where are you going ," demanded Tara, hands on her hips ," where was the humiliation ? I don't see Cat sniveling and crying …you were supposed to make her cry . That was part of the deal …"

The blonde rolled her eyes in disgust ." I am not wasting any more of my time on those freaks . I tried to make the bitch cry but apparently she has more of a backbone than we all figured and you never mentioned they know my cousin. You had better hope and pray that any of this doesn't get back to my family or there will be hell to pay "

" Cousin ? Roxanne, you haven't heard the end of this ," added Haley," we had an agreement and you lost it "

Roxanne ignored them and exited the club, nearly getting run down by a pushy brunette in a lavender dress and expensive heels .

" Ganks "

" Who are you calling a gank " said Haley, turning around and coming face to face with someone she had hoped not to ever see again ," Trina "

" That's right , ladies ," sneered Trina ," bet you never dreamed you'd be seeing me again after your little nasty plot against me with Leo "

Tara and Haley exchanged freaked out looks . " Leo ? "

" We don't know any, Leo," chuckled Haley, backpedaling ," I don't know what you are talking about . It has been years…just years since we even thought about you and your stupid gum sockets …"

" Don't you mean my bloody gum sockets ?" questioned Trina, an evil glint in her eye.

" You are nothing but a talent less monster " remarked Tara , without thinking .

" So since you lead pathetic lives you thought it would be fun to screw with me and my friend for sport ? I bet you didn't know that Cat is my friend and so when I overhead you ganks at the party, I was pretty wazzed off ." explained Trina ," I can handle myself but my friend wouldn't hurt a fly . "

" You cant come into our club and threaten us " said Tara with more bravado than she felt .

" I don't have many friends " informed Trina , striking a karate pose ," I don't actually like Robbie but you see when you grunches decided to sik Blondie on him, he and Cat were already in love so that hurt her . Do you see where I am going with ?"

" We don't have to listen to you …." retorted Haley, starting to walk about but Trina wasn't finished yet and she had been having a really horrible couple of days herself .

" Maybe you will listen to Fizzene instead …" With the grace and skill she rarely exhibited in normal life, Trina swung around, brought her leg around and it connected with the girls face, knocking her to the floor ," whoa, glad to see you made the connection ."

" I am going to call the police ! " She clutched at her cheek," you cut me "

" I told you to listen to Fizzene " Trina faced the other girl," you wanna meet ?"

" You are insane ! "

" I prefer crazy ," smiled Trina ," I see my sister and her friends over there . Do you want another round or have you gotten my point ? Cause I am starting to get a crowd and I would love to continue this show plus my other heel feels left out "

" I hate Hollywood Arts " groaned Tara, crying , softly and clutching her cheek .

" You made your point , Trina ," voiced Haley ," no more revenge . Promise "

Trina brushed her hair off of her face and smiled at them ." Oh and you'd best be nice to all of us here tonight or I am sure your daddy would love to know what his hard earned karaoke money has been being used for in this little scheme '

" How do you know that ?" demanded an outraged Haley , looking for her father .

" Leo might be pretty but he is still a guy " remarked Trina with a little laugh ," now I am going to go join Tori and everyone . You two be sure and pay our bill now "

" I hate you " pouted Tara, glumly .

" Yeah, I don't really care " answered Trina , kicking up her bright sequined Fizzene boots behind her ," and no more messing with Hollywood Arts "

She made her way through the club to the tables her friends had pushed together , Andre, Tori, Beck, and Jade were talking loudly amongst themselves and Cat and Robbie were holding hands and gazing lovingly at one other .

Things looked about right to her .


	25. Chapter 25

" Tori," Andre made his way over to her locker, his mind still whirring and reacting to the events of the weekend . Most importantly , their kiss," hey, you got a minute . I was thinking we should probably talk about what happened at Karaoke Dokee …"

Tori slung her bag over her shoulder and tried to hide her own embarrassment .

" I didn't think we needed to," managed Tori, with a nervous laugh," we forgot ourselves for a minute . I was a wreck and you were just being my friend …I certainly don't expect for us to get back together "

He rubbed his chest and the ache that reminded him his heart was still hurting .

" That's cool, " muttered Andre with a nod ," I just wanted to make sure . You know , not have another misunderstanding since we're even on the whole just friends thing "

" No, we're good " managed Tori,trying for more conviction than she felt .

" Cool " reiterated Andre , trying to slip back into the ease of their friendship despite the fact their kiss had been the only thing on his mind since it had happened ," so, how are things at home ?"

" I think Dad is in denial ," quipped Tori," Trina has been watching old L.A. Law episodes so that she can help apparently to get even with Mom. I don't know ..I hate it . I would much rather hide out here than home …"

" I'm sorry ," Andre took a breath," so, you ready to have that baby ? I think today is going to be the day Sikowitz makes us improv it ….I have a feeling "

" Only if its painless …..I so don't want to be a parent "

Andre stared at his shoes ," Yeah, me either ….sometimes its just a whole lot of work taking care of my Grandma "

" Let alone worrying about the kids "

Meanwhile Jade and Beck were coming around the corner , his arm draped around her shoulders, as they drank their coffees .

" Look there's Andre and Tori ," pointed out Jade , pointedly ," since you two bonded over the buffalo nuggets , why don't you just kiss and make up "

" No, " stated Beck," I have apologized more than once to him about what happened . Andre doesn't want to hear it then I am not going to force him to listen to me …I was sincere when I said I was sorry "

Jade arched a dark brow, as if daring him. " God, you are both morons ," retorted Jade ," Vega and I got over this chizz already and I don't like her . You and Andre need to stop acting like a bunch of baby wusses and just let the stupid chizz go for once "

" I broke the code , Jade "

" Cry me a river ," remarked Jade , sending him a knowing look ," you can admit you were wrong to me and be sincere but you cant swallow the Beck Oliver pride long enough to make your best friend get it . "

" I am not going to force the issue when the dude wont hear it " argued Beck

" Pretty pathetic when I can show some brass and heart to Vega instead of kicking her like a puppy who'd been shot in the leg ," remarked Jade, watching the trepidation and struggle across his face ," guess you and Andre will be fighting for custody of Robbie next …."

" you just make us sound stupid when you put it like that …." frowned Beck, under his breath.

" Stupid and girly " added Jade, stopping by the stairs where Andre and Tori were lingering ," hey , what's up ? Where 's Cat and Robbie ?"

" Just hanging ," answered Tori, relieved to see her friends before she and Andre went back into the uncomfortable and awkward zone again ," and I don't know . I had a text from Cat earlier and she said that Robbie was picking her up "

" Those two are probably making out somewhere " chuckled Andre

" Or Cat is nursing her broken nail from punching North Ridge " laughed Beck

They exchanged familiar looks of being on the same page then realized things weren't back to normal quite yet .

" Noooooo ooooo" groaned Jade , rolling her eyes at them .

" Andre and I aren't back together "

" I never asked ….whatever, I don't care …" Jade nudged her boyfriend ," you and Andre seemed pretty cool the other night about the stupid buffalo nuggets "

Beck knew that she wasn't going to give up on this subject and it was true that they had combined efforts to help their friends out at the club .

" Just was trying to diffuse the tension since Lil Red was getting her mad on " told Andre

" Robbie didn't look like he knew what he was going to do " added Beck

" Just accept his sorry already , Andre " wailed Tori ," it isn't right when you two are fighting over something that ..well, you shouldn't let it ruin your friendship "

Andre weighed and considered ," I guess its not worth it anymore since Tori and I aren't even together anymore "

" We can just hang at school , if your cool with that ," Beck lifted his hands in peace ," thought we always said we wouldn't let a girl come between us "

" I think I said that …a long time ago " confessed Andre, reluctantly . He caught the smirk on Jade's lips as her words from earlier also rang through his mind .

" Just make up already , I'm getting bored " Jade took a drink of her coffee.

" Guess we have been being pretty hard-headed " continued Andre ," I know I have "

" You were entitled , man, but the girls are right ," conceded Beck ," we shouldn't let my stupid mistake and terrible judgment ruin our friendship . If Jade and Tori can rise above it , we sure as hell ought to be able to "

Beck extended a hand and his tone sincere ," I am truly sorry , Andre "

Andre accepted the hand ." Apology accepted , Beck "

" Finally "

" Hey everyone " called out Cat as she and Robbie joined them, " isn't it a wonderful day ?"

She and Robbie were holding hands and they exuded happiness .

" Hey Cat , Rob ," addressed Jade ," you two look happy "

Robbie wrapped his arms around Cat's waist and beamed ." We are very happy . Thank you very much, jade "

" Gah, don't make me puke " remarked Jade , not unkindly .

" Robbie and I had our first real breakfast date this morning " explained Cat, leaning back against the solidness of her boyfriends chest .

" Where did you take the girl , Robbie ?" inquired a curious Andre .

" I took her for waffles " answered Robbie , kissing the top of her head .

" Breakfast is kind of our thing we have decided ," explained Cat , matter of fact ," after all Robbie and I started with a kiss and a breakfast cupcake " She let out a little giggle ," I think it's very romantic "

" You think everything Robbie does for you is romantic ' pointed out a good natured Tori., " but I am thrilled you two are together finally "

" True "murmured Cat , softly .

" Not as much as I am …." contributed Andre , relieved they would have some sort of normalcy within their group from now on .

" Whoa, not as much as Cat and I " stated Robbie , passionately ," its been crazy "

" I think its safe to say that crazy is an understatement " this came from Beck .

Andre checked his watch. " We should probably get to class now "

Everyone nodded and headed in the direction of the acting classroom except for Cat and Robbie who lingered together , content to be able to just be a couple for real .

" Cat , you ready to go to class ?" asked a concerned Robbie , searching her face .

" In a minute , I just want to be able to do ..this " Cat stood on her tiptoes, reached up and kissed him ever so tenderly ," and kiss my boyfriend "

Robbie kissed her and grinned ." I love being your boyfriend "

Just then sinjin noticed the couple and stopped to peer at them and spoiling the mood .

" Robbie , I will give you twenty bucks if you will help me win over Trina "

" Sorry, Sinjin, she still doesn't even like me ," answered a honest Robbie ," I wouldn't even begin to know where to start to help you "

" I'm not picky , whatever tips you have " went on Sinjin ," never mind , Maybe I can blackmail Trina into being with me ….."

Cat frowned ." I really don't think you should do that, Sinjin "

" Blackmail and money really doesn't work ," told a sheepish Robbie ," trust me "

" Gotta go …..bye ' Skipping , Sinjin disappeared around the corner as the bell rang and Cat's pear phone went off loudly .

" Cat, we need to get to class "

She examined her phone and noticed the message was from her family . " Go on, Robbie ," insisted Cat ," its from my brother . I should call him back because it isn't normal for him to just call once unless its like the time he got in trouble for being inappropriate at the farmers market with the radishes "

" Do you want me to stay ? " asked Robbie , unsure if it was serious or not .

" Oh no, you go on , " Cat pressed a kiss to his cheek ," I'll be right in in a few "

" Sure , cutie " Robbie smiled at her and headed for Sikowitz's class with thoughts of finding them seats together from now on .

" Steven, " says Cat ," you didn't get in trouble for yelling at those bus drivers again . Did you ? I'm fine and yes, Robbie took me to school so you should go home "

" I'm not in trouble , little girl ," answered Steven ," I just wanted to make sure you were safe . I don't know your new boyfriend very well yet …"

" I am very safe with Robbie but I really cant talk , I'm already late for class " Cat said her goodbyes to her older brother and pocketed her phone .

" Hello Cat "

Recognizing the voice , Cat turned around to find her ex-boyfriend standing on the steps , hands shoved in his pockets , and a weird expression on his face .

" Daniel " murmured Cat ," this is a surprise . What are you doing here ?"

He stepped forward , taking in how long her red hair had gotten, and the pair of flats had replaced the sexy heels she had always worn when they used to date .

" I wanted to see you ," replied Daniel , moving forward as if to hug her ," you really look beautiful . You are wearing your hair different …"

Cat touched the end of her hair and bit her lip, confused . " I really should get to class "

Daniel reached out and touched her arm. " Aren't you even going to give me a hug ?"

Cat frowned ," I don't understand what you are doing here, Daniel "

" I told you that I have been missing you a lot lately , Cat ," replied Daniel, his lips curving in a smile that made her uncomfortable ," I thought we could go someplace quiet and private . Talk about getting back together "

" I'm sorry, Daniel, but I don't want to do that ," stated Cat, firmly ," I have a boyfriend "

" Boyfriend ," scoffed Daniel ," I am sure it isn't serious . We had something real good together, Cat . You know that we did ….come on, I went to a lot of trouble to plan something special for you so the least you can do is come with me "

He grabbed her wrist ," I remembered how much you like surprises "

" Well, I'm sorry you went to any trouble, Daniel, but I still don't want to go with you ," insisted Cat ," please, let go of my hand "

" You never used to be this vocal and argumentative , I don't think I like it "

" It's been a long time, Daniel," stressed Cat, biting the side of her lip as a pit settled in her stomach ," it doesn't make sense , you and I . I am sorry if I was rude and hurt your feelings earlier but I was trying to be honest . I am in love "

" You used to be in love with me ," Daniel grasped her around the waist and pulled her to him ," I know that we can get that back "

Cat pushed on his chest ." Daniel, let me go! Have you lost your mind ? You never used to act like this ….stop it "

Back in Sikowitz's class, the teacher had just finished explaining how his own relationship had ended in disaster and how they would no longer be dealing with romantic scenarios after today when he realized one of his favorite students was missing .

" Robbie , where is Cat ?"

Robbie glanced worriedly at his pear phone but it was quiet ." She was just calling her brother ," explained Robbie ," I hope nothing is the matter . Cat has been really excited since Steven has been being pretty normal ….."

" Her brother is in no way normal " contributed a knowing Jade ," though he has great contacts "

" Just go get Cat, Robbie …" urged Sikowitz as the young geek headed to the hallway .

" Cat , oh Cat ! Is everything okay, sweetie ?' Robbie rounded the corner and found his girlfriend being man-handled by her ex-boyfriend ," Cat "

Relief spread across Cat's pretty face as she tried to move from Daniel's embrace but he had a tight grip " Oh thank God, Robbie , I am so glad to see you! Daniel doesn't understand that I'm not interested in him…."

Robbie appraised the situation and took another step. " Hey there, Daniel, I don't know if you remember me or not but I'm Robbie . "

" This is a private conversation between me and Cat. Go away "

Robbie laughed, nervously ." it cant be very private since you are in the middle of a hallway . You really should let go of Cat , she doesn't appreciate being man-handled and I don't like you holding my girlfriend like that "

Daniel 's eyes darkened and his gaze swept over Cat then Robbie . " You dumped me for this ..nerd, Cat ?"

Cat stiffened ." We haven't been together in a long, long time ! Yes, I am with Robbie "

Daniel laughed, amused ." This is exactly why we need to talk, honey "

" Please, let me go , " tried Cat, wiggling in his grasp," this is nuts ! "

" You not answering my texts was quite rude ," said Daniel, seriously ," I tried to make you see that, Cat , but you tried to ignore me instead "

" Did someone hit you on the noggin, Daniel ? I love Robbie " swore Cat, trying to elbow him," you used to never treat me like this before ! Big bully "

Robbie reached for Cat . " I don't understand any of this but I think we should talk about this . Daniel, why don't you start by letting go of Cat ….she is a lady and you aren't treating her like one , you barbarian "

" Go away, geek " retorted Daniel, " I think Cat needs a reminder of what we used to have "

Cat pushed desperately at his chest ," NOOOOOOO, I don't . Stop this , Daniel ! "

Daniel crushed his lips across hers and she managed to pull a hand out to slap him across the face ." You have no right to kiss me ! "

" That's it ! Cat asked you nicely and so did I …..I don't want to have to use brute force but I will if you don't unhand my girlfriend right now "

" You cant be serious ! You cant take me, your just a scrawny nerd " chuckled Daniel, amused but he let go of Cat and advanced on Robbie ," I knew she was dumb but what did you do to make her want someone like you ?"

Cat gasped .

Robbie stood taller and tried not to cringe . " Cat is not dumb and you are the one acting like you've turned into a Cops suspect, Daniel . I think you should just leave and forget all about this …I know Cat and I will "

" Oh I'll leave, after I deal with you," answered Daniel ," Cat and I have plans "

" We do not ! I am not going anywhere with you !" shouted Cat , flanking Robbie's side which only seemed to anger and piss Daniel off more than before .

" I don't want to fight you " stated Robbie , firmly . He reached for Cat's hand and gave her a squeeze to reassure her ," and we are already way late for class "

" Cat, you are seriously with four eyes here ?"

" Yes, " declared Cat ," I have told you that I am with Robbie . I wasn't lying ..just please go, Daniel . You are a good person and I am sure there are other girls that would love to be with you and go out but just not me ….."

" I can make you change your mind , Cat , about us " swore Daniel , touching her cheek .

Robbie saw her flinch and sighed, heavily ." Cat and I are just going to go to class now '

" I don't think soooo, you freaky nerd " said Daniel, his hand shooting out and wrenching Cat away from Robbie . She let out a little unexpected cry of hurt and surprise .

" Okay, mister , that was uncalled for and you hurt Cat ! I wont stand by and allow you to continue this bullying …." started Robbie as he advanced on the tall ex-suitor of Cat with purpose . This felt like something out of One Tree hill Or Glee, not real life .

Daniel swung around and delivered a blow to Robbie's eye that had him recoiling as his glasses hit the floor and Robbie blinked . " I don't want to fight you "

" Then you will walk away so that I can take Cat out for a little surprise "

" Daniel , stop this right this instant ! Oh my god, Robbie ! "

" Girls and especially Cat don't like aggressiveness in boyfriends ," Robbie stood his ground ," you must realize this is stupid. Cat is with me and she just doesn't want you so there is nothing you could say or do that will change her mind . It is best if you just leave …."

" You need to shut your yap ! Cat is the most perfect, sweetest girl I have ever known and there is no one who listens as well as she does ! " stated Daniel , " go "

Robbie lifted his chin in defiance ." You need help.," decided Robbie ," Cat , go get Lane "

" Kay , Kay " Cat started to move around the two when Daniel reached around , grabbed her and tossed her carelessly across the floor .

Cat let out a cry ," Ow…..Robbie ! "

" That's it ! You hurt the girl I love ! You want to fight then I will fight you ! You just don't lay one finger more on Cat ! " threatened Robbie , with more bravado than he felt and hoping that someone , anyone who start roaming the halls .

He needed the help ccause he was in way over his head but Robbie wasn't going to stand by and let this creep hurt Cat either !

Robbie brought his fists up and hoped like hell he had learned something off of watching Andre and Beck box a couple years back or he was so going to be in trouble .

" Robbie , no ! This is crazy …..you both know that I hate fighting ! "

" You cant be serious , dude " chuckled Daniel, ducking as Robbie managed to punch him , lightly , in the shoulder ," I will kill you "

" Maybe but unless you just go on back to whatever creepy rock you crawled out of with your crazy whack job problems, but I am not allowing you to hurt Cat again ," said Robbie , his voice shaking and his legs trembling from fear ," so you wanna go some rounds, bring it on ! "

Clutching her shoulder which felt like it had been janked , Cat stood and tried to get in between them ." Stop this , right this minute now !"

" Cat, go get Sikowitz ! "

" I don't want to leave you alone with Daniel ! I would have never dated you, Daniel, if I knew this was how you really were ! I don't like mean guys "

" You need to learn your proper place with me, Cat ! You used to be so docile , like a pet ' Pissed and tired that things were taking this long to resolve, Daniel brought his fist around and punched Robbie in the nose ," I'm done with this shit . I told you that Cat and I have plans and having a nerd fight me is screwing with those plans "

Blood poured from Robbie's nose but he wiped it on his sleeve ." I always thought you were a first class jerk when Cat dated you but I guess it took a couple years for you to advance to first rate psycho asshole ! "

" Robbie " Cat found her pink pear phone on the ground and reached for it , hoping to send out a mass text for help and afraid to leave Robbie to go get help .

" Where is everyone ! ' screamed Cat , hoping someone would hear her cry of distress .

She couldn't stand by and let her ex boyfriend go nutso and beat the guy she loved up any longer . Cat placed her hand on Daniel's arm and tried to make him see reason .

" This isn't you, Daniel . The boy I dated a couple years ago would have never hurt me or anyone ! It is just silly for you to hurt Robbie and mean, and you cant possibly still love me …you never loved me that much when we actually dated "

" Chicks aren't like you, Cat ," told Daniel, " they don't listen to me "

" I am listening and please, stop hurting Robbie . Please ….don't , for me "

Robbie took advantage of the fact that Cat was calming him and with some quick thinking he tackled Daniel to the floor but the man was faster and more fight ready .

He grabbed Robbie and pressed his hands across his throat and kicked him hard in the stomach causing him to cry out in pain .

" Cat and I were talking " Daniel delivered another blow across Robbie's face and Cat covered her eyes, unable to watch .

" You are insane " Robbie tried kicking him and fought the wave of pain as Daniel continued to assault him, " Cat, run ! "

" DANIEL !STOP IT RIGHT NOW " yelled Cat and though she was frightened , she reached for her ex-boyfriend and began to smack him as hard as she could on his shoulders," no, stop hurting him! We can talk , just stop beating Robbie up! "

" What is all the commotion going on interrupting my class ?" demanded Sikowitz as he , Beck, Jade, Andre, and Tori followed the noise out into the hallway .

" Oh my God ! Danny , what are you doing ?" exclaimed a shocked Tori as Jade ran over and tried to pull Cat off of the skunk bag .

" Cat, come on, let me show you how its done " Jade grasped her friends shoulders and pulled her back

" He is hurting Robbie, Jade ! He went nuts ! I don't understand " murmured Cat , reaching out for her boyfriend as her best friend brought her booted heel down on Daniel's gut .

" Time to let go of Robbie now ! "

Robbie shoved at him as Andre and Beck reached down , grabbed the fighting and enraged Daniel off of their friend and held onto him so he wasn't going anywhere .

" No, no, " chided Beck, clutching Daniel's shoulder," I don't know what your problem is but your not going anywhere now "

Robbie sat up and clutched at his stomach , reaching for his glasses .

" That asshole assaulted me and Cat ! He wouldn't listen to reason ! " managed Robbie

" Cat and I are going to get back together ," swore Daniel, glaring daggers at Andre ," this two bit geek was in our way. "

Tori stared at Daniel in disgust ." Danny, why would you do this ? "

" Tell them it was a misunderstanding, Tori ," pleaded Danny to his previous ex-girlfriend ," you know me better than Cat . I wouldn't have hurt her ..you know me "

Tori shook her head and turned to Cat . " Cat ?"

" He is lying, Tori ," Cat rubbed her shoulder ," he went all crazy and hurt my shoulder . He ..then he went after Robbie when he tried to protect me …."

" I've called the police ," announced Sikowitz ," assault is a very serious manner . "

" I never assaulted anyone ….I just wanted to talk to Cat and the nerd made me hit him "

" Robbie isn't that annoying " told Andre ," and you aren't going anywhere till the cops get here "

" Guess it really pissed you off when Cat ignored all the texts you sent her " goaded Jade

" Jade , don't " asked Beck," its too early for Andre and I to have to restrain this dude the hard way …"

Andre chuckled , amused ." Haven't had a throw down since that wazzbag Stephen ….."

Tori stared at Andre then Beck. " Stephen ? Cat's brother ? "

Andre tightened his grip on Daniel and pretended to be focusing on Sikowitz interrogating Robbie and Cat instead . " Nope, another Steven, that you don't know ," explained a nervous Andre , " cause Beck and I aren't the violent types "

" You said you beat up Stephen , Andre " pointed out Tori, tapping her foot .

" Blah, Tori, he's talking about the dude who was playing you and the icarly chic ," remarked Jade ," get over yourself already. You never thought that stupid public humiliation was the only thing that kept the dude away from you ..oh you did "

" Shut up , Jade "

" Just let me go and I wont step foot inside of Hollywood arts ever again ," Daniel had recovered his senses ," I got carried away. Let the temper get the best of me ..Tori, you know I would never actually hurt Cat "

" You were beating up Robbie, Danny ," went on a matter of fact Tori ," and Cat couldn't or wouldn't lie to save her life . You can wait for the cops and tell them and I really hope my Dad answers this one "

" Hell of a way to start the morning " remarked Sikowitz ,' hope this is the last of the drama that Cat and Robbie have for a while . Those two crazy kids deserve to be happy and bask in all their sweetness and light like a warm adorable hallmark movie with a side of strawberries and cream ."

" Sikowitz ?"

" What ? Those two have been years in the making ..Cat and Robbie are so cute together "

Jade lifted her scissors from her boot and held them up. " Can I at least have some fun with the psycho boy here ? You know, before the cops haul his ass in "

" No, you may not, Jade " countered sikowitz ," I don't want to have to bail all of my students out of jail on a regular Monday "

" Oh Robbie , you are hurt ," Cat used the edge of her cardigan to dab at the blood on his lip," I am so so sorry. I had no idea that Daniel had gone nuts …"

Robbie groaned and took her hand . " I'm okay, I am . "

" You're bleeding, Robbie " says Cat, in a soft voice ," I should have got help when you told me to but I was terrified of what he might do to you. Can you forgive me ?"

" You were scared and I am okay ," assured Robbie ," I just want to make sure your not hurt . How is your arm ?"

Cat shrugged," Sore but he yanked hard , I probably had my muscle pulled or something. You were so brave and wonderful , Robbie "

She kissed the side of his lip, delicately . " My Robbie "

He rested his head against hers ." I got a beating, Cat "

" I know ," murmured Cat ," but you are still my hero . "

" Tug or any of your other old boyfriends aren't going to come out of the woodwork and gang beat me next ," joked Robbie , trying to ignore the pain in his side ," right , sweetie ? Cause if they are , I think I need to start working out more with the guys "

Cat pressed a soft kiss against his eye that was starting to bruise . " No, silly "

" Sooo , that was exciting for our first day as a real couple " drawled Robbie , wryly ," maybe we should aim for a less exciting lunch together "

" I think you need to go to the hospital " decided Cat , worriedly ," wanna make sure you don't have anything broken, Robbie "

" I am okay , I promise " declared Robbie , kissing her tenderly ," I love you "

" I love you too, Robbie "

Cat helped her boyfriend to stand and put her arm around his waist then looked at her friends.

" I am taking Robbie to the hospital ," stated Cat , firmly ," in case anyone else would like to go with me "

" I'm going " declared Jade , not hesitating .

" Me too " agreed Tori, knowing they needed the support .

" Guess we'll stay here till the cops take psycho Daniel away " said Andre , nodding at Beck.

" Cat , honey, I am sorry but you aren't really going to let them call the police on me "

Cat glared at him. " Yes, I am ," says Cat ," and I am pressing charges for what you did to me and Robbie , Daniel . So, you don't go and do it to Tori or any of the other girls who went out with you "

Robbie gazed, lovingly at her. " That is my girl "

" Come on , Robbie , give me your keys ," says a forceful Cat," I am driving "

Andre, Beck, and Sikowitz watched with something akin to amusement as the redhead led the nerd outside with Jade and Tori accompanying them.

" They really are sweet like candy "


	26. Chapter 26

After nearly a month and a half of craziness, the Hollywood Arts gang settled around their usual table on the Asphalt Café during lunch and caught up on things they hadn't been able to discuss during their classes.

Tori was eating pizza and French fries while bemoaning over her and Andre's previous having the baby scene they had performed earlier for Sikowitz.

" I am never having kids after that ," groaned Tori, between bites," not even pretend ones I would rather swing from a roof ….well, I don't know if I'd actually do that , but that pretend to push out a baby in front of the entire class was humiliating "

Andre chuckled ," Least Sikowitz didn't let you have a C-section "

" It was pretty funny ," agreed Jade , holding up her phone ," and so are the comments ."

" You recorded us ? Jade, I am going to kill you! No body wants to watch me pretend to push a beach ball out of my …that's gross " argued a frazzled Tori .

" More people than you would think ," said Jade , snarkily ," all 678 views of it "

" JADE "

" Chill, Tor," interceded a careful Andre ," so did you talk to your Dad "

" Yeah, what happened with crazy Danny ?" this came from a curious Beck.

" Cat and I , as you know , went down to the station and pressed assault charges against Daniel " explained Robbie , taking a strawberry from Cat's plate ," just to be safe "

" Even though this was the first time that Daniel has ever gone a little nutso in the head ," says Cat ," I think he just needs counseling but Robbie convinced me that he is dangerous . I still cant believe he even hurt Robbie ….."

Robbie smiled, lightly and touched his black eye. " It doesn't hurt quite as bad today "

Cat leaned against him, resting her head against his ." I am just so glad its all over with once and for all …"

" I did talk to Dad ," explained Tori , matter of fact ," but he could only tell me a little . Danny doesn't have a record of doing anything like this before and then there is the fact that his father is like one of the best lawyers in L.A., it doesn't sound good at all. "

" Dad figures he'll get a slap on the wrist , have to pay a fine and be released "

" Even though he scared Cat and beat the stuffing out of Robbie ?" asked Andre

" According to my Dad , that is what he figures "

" That doesn't seem right at all….." vocalized Robbie ," he should be punished . Cat never erased her texts he sent her …there were over 34 of them , and pretty creepy . I don't want him in the same city as my girl …"

Cat pressed a soft kiss against his lips ." You worry too much . Can we please just not talk anymore about Daniel ?"

" Rightarooni " assured Robbie, earning a smile from his girlfriend.

Beck nudged Jade . " Babe , you gonna tell them your good news or shall I ?"

All eyes turned to the dark beauty with interest at what exactly Jade's news would be .

" No , I was going to wait until I finished vomiting from all of Cat and Robbie's lovey dovey crap " remarked Jade , taking a bite out of her burrito.

" Your words don't affect us, you guys ," informed Robbie ," Cat and I are happy "

" That's right ," exclaimed Cat , suddenly having a thought and clapping her hands together in delight," Oh my God, I love good news ! You and Beck are getting married !"

Beck and jade exchanged amused looks. " Uh, no, Cat , not tying the knot "

Jade stared incredulously at her best friend ." No, and no ," stated Jade ," Beck and I are just back together . How the chizz did you jump to marriage, Cat ?"

Cat met her friends gaze ." Beck said it was happy , good news . A wedding is happy news ! "

" They aren't getting married, sweetheart " said Robbie, gently .

Cat sent him a look," Well, I realize that now but I don't see why its such a surprise . Beck and Jade could decide to get married …someday "

" Here I was going to go with a bun in the oven " chuckled Andre , watching as Tori tried not to laugh. He could tell that she had been thinking the same as he had about them.

Jade pulled a pair of scissors from her bag and waved them at him. " Dude , shut up! I am not having a baby ! "

Tori tried to intercede. " So if you and Beck aren't getting married or having a kid , what exactly is the good news , Jade ?"

" You know my play Love's Lament ' ?" brought up Jade," that I wrote for Sikowitz's class…turns out he and Lane really liked it "

" They loved it ," continued Beck, proudly ," so they took it to Helen "

" Our principal Helen ?" asked Cat , " cause you can never tell if she likes things "

" Yeah, that Helen ," picked up Jade ," anyway, she couldn't believe I wrote it ..whatever. Don't really care about that except she loved this so we are going to produce the play here "

" Told you it is your best work outside of Well Wishes, babe "

" That's awesome, Jade " said Tori ," it is really good ."

" Yeah, I'm happy about it ," said a cynical Jade ," I want to direct it but sikowitz wants me and Beck to be Morgana and Samuel so I don't know . So can I get you guys to help out with it or what ?"

" Sure ," told Andre , " there a part in there for me ?"

" Only if you audition for it " said Jade ," Robbie , will you help with all the stage things ? I think Sinjin will do the lighting for me ..Cat, will you make the costumes "

" Yuperrooni, sure will "

" I would love to make your costumes for your play, Jade . Yay ! "

" Cool ," Jade leaned into Beck, comfortably ," so it seems like things have worked out except for Andre and Vega "

" It was peaceful " remarked Beck , pointedly .

" Peaceful is boring chizz " brought up Jade," I need more coffee. " She turned her blue eyes upon Beck," Go get me more coffee "

" You could go get your own coffee ..just a thought "

" I thought you were trying to make amends and you always used to get my coffee "

" We are talking to our friends right now ," reminded Beck ," I can get you coffee later "

Tori managed a wan smile noting the couple seemed out of their weird romantic phase and were back to acting like normal . She picked at her fries and darted a glance at Robbie and cat , who were giggling and feeding each other strawberries .

Andre was absorbed in his phone and trying not to pay any sort of attention to her or the couples at their table .

It was difficult .

" Mom and dad are going to try counseling ," Tori changed the subject ," and they are planning a graduation party for Trina "

" I cant believe your sister is actually graduating " commented Andre , not unkindly ," she doesn't have any talent . Did her teachers just pass her so they didn't have to deal with her ?"

" I don't know ," answered Tori," maybe . I just know she had good grades and she is passing Hollywood Arts , finally "

" I may not be on the Honor Roll , Tori, but I don't suck " Trina ducked into the conversation ," and my party will be fabu . You are all invited and bring presents .."

Sinjin spotted her and made a beeline for her ." Trina ! My love, there you are ! I heard about the party …can I come ?"

" No," answered Trina , panic crossing her face," you make me sick, Sinjin "

His face fell in disappointment ." I know but just one date, Trina, before you graduate and leave me to pining away for you "

Trina made a face," Ew, no! The answer is always going to be no "

She grabbed one of Cat's strawberries and mushed it in his face before running as fast as her Fizzene heels would allow her to go .

" Did your sister really just invite us to her graduation party, Tori ?" asked Jade

" She has like five friends that I know of ," responded Tori ," so yea, real invite and you all had better show up in the mood to party . Trina graduating is a really big deal ! "

" We'll be there " assured Andre, resisting the urge to squeeze her hand .

Curb those impulses, Harris .

" Robbie and I will be there " assured Cat, playing with his fingers ," so, were we on for more movie watching tonight ? I have Roman Holiday that Steven picked up for me at a flea market …..pretty please, Robbie ?"

" How many times have you seen that movie , Cat ?" teased Robbie, knowingly .

" I don't know ," considered Cat ," maybe 54 and that is only because it is one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn movies "

Robbie laughed ," Fifty -five sounds like a good number then "

Cat kissed his cheek ," Goody "

Robbie had finished his homework and had decided it was time to rid himself of things he no longer needed . Cat and Jade had already disposed of all of Rex's clothes and with the evil puppet gone for good, he was feeling better and more confident about himself with every new day .

He and Cat were still new in their relationship but they felt as if they were thriving more and more with each new discovery they made about each other .

The being in love was even better than the falling in love .

Robbie grabbed his can of mayo from his fridge ( his stress relief ), glanced at the Miracle Whip, and decided there were better ways to handle it than he previously had been so he tossed it into the bag.

Framed pictures of him and Rex covered his walls as if taunting and haunting him .

One by one , Robbie began to take them off of the wall , adding them to his trash except for a small picture from last year. Rex had been silent and the picture was good .

He left it there and added a group shot of all of his friends that Sikowitz had taken recently .

Robbie smiled and turned to stare at the pink frame that held a picture of Cat in it that sat on his nightstand table . His girlfriend .

Cat had given him the picture a couple days after they had become official.

Robbie was waiting until Cat arrived tonight before putting up the pictures of them , together .

Meanwhile his computer screen blinked and winked alive as Freddie Benson appeared onscreen , a easy going smile on his face .

" Shapiro, you going to stop playing decorating so we can talk or what ?"

Robbie sat down ." Freddie, hey, I was not decorating . I was fixing my wall "

" Decorating ," teased Freddie ," so, I got your email that you finally dumped the demon . Gibby and I were happy to hear about it …..and thought you would like to know that Roxanne has been disowned by the family after the whole deal playing with you about her Grandfather being dead. "

" Gibby spilled the beans to his folks after what Cat told him…wasn't a pretty sight "

" I don't know what to say…maybe I should apologize to Gibby "

" Wasn't your fault, dude," replied Freddie ," Gibby's cool and its not like you lied to him. His evil demon cousin was the liar …."

" Benson, why am I in the kitchen and your yammering on the computer ? " yelled Sam Puckett, who was scanning the room for food while Marissa was gone .

" I'm talking to Robbie ,' shouted Freddie , over his shoulder ," just fix you a snack and I'll be in when I am finished ! "

Robbie smiled and cocked a brow ." You and Sam ?"

" We're back together ," answered Freddie with a happy smirk ," I told her how I felt about her and us . She threatened to beat me within an inch of my life and then we got back together a couple days ago …."

" Glad to hear it ," replied Robbie , pleased for his friend ," so, life is good . You are back with Sam and Cat and I are together . We are really, really good , Freddie "

Freddie chuckled ," Yea, cause I wouldn't have been able to figure that out on my own ..what with the fifty pics of you and Cat on your Slap page , Robbie "

" Cat couldn't wait to post those pictures of us " confided Robbie , happily ," it's been pretty insane this last month …...I haven't even told you the half of it "

" Like why you have a black eye ?" asked Freddie as he listened to Sam clang around , opening cabinets and doors in the kitchen .

" Cat's old boyfriend …." started Robbie as the door opened and his girlfriend came in.," and there is my girl "

" Hi Robbie " Cat sat down on his lap, placed her arms around his neck and greeted him with a tender kiss ," why are you talking about Daniel ? Does your eye still hurt ? You promised me that you would tell me if it was bothering you….."

Freddie watched the couple,amused ." Hey Cat , I hear you decided to take a chance with Shapiro after all "

Cat ran her fingers through Robbie's curly hair and waited for his answer first .

" Robbie …."

" I was going to explain everything to Freddie ," stated Robbie , " we're Skyping tonight . My eye is a little sore but it really doesn't hurt that bad ….honestly "

She stared at him, suspiciously ." Are you sure ?"

" It hurts even less than when those Moms beat me with sticks " told Robbie

Cat giggled and pressed a small kiss above his black eye ." Kay, that's good "

She turned around and faced the screen ," Sorry about that, Freddie , but this is the first time Robbie and I have had to be really alone . I swear, we kept getting interrupted at school …and how are you ?"

" Gotcha, Cat ," answered Freddie ," and we're all good here . I was just telling Rob that Sam and I are back together too …."

" That is wonderful , Freddie ! "

" Fredwardly , did your Mom toss out the ham ?" called Out Sam, coming into his room ," cause the only good thing I see in this house besides the ham that isn't in there is a can of pudding . "

" Check the freezer, Sam ," said Freddie ," there was half a ham left or just eat the pudding "

" I already ate the pudding ," retorted Sam, smacking him aside the head with affection ," why are you still yakking to your nubbish gaming friend when you could be talking to Mama's lips instead ?"

" Robbie and I are finishing up here , Sam," growled Freddie , giving her a heated look ," and don't go no where with those lips, Mama "

Sam appraised the screen ," This is private, dudes "

Cat gasped out loud ," Who are you calling a nub," Cat got her ire up ," that is rude "

" Freddie's a nub and so is the puppet geek " remarked Sam, calling it as she saw it.

" Oh crap …." Freddie tried to restrain Sam," Sam, don't ..please ..don't do it "

Cat looked at her boyfriend ." Oh my God, she is calling you one . "

Robbie held her waist ." I think she meant me, Cat, but its fine . That's just Sam "

" No, it isn't fine, Robbie " decided Cat , " its very mean and uncalled for "

" You going to pout about it , Red , or what ? I don't have all day and I'm in the mood for some Freddie so you need to end this stupid geek talk before I do "

" I cannot believe how rude you are ," says an outraged Cat , starting to get annoyed ," Robbie isn't a nub. Don't be mean to my boyfriend …."

" Don't tell me what to do, " started Sam ," and I was just calling a nub when I see one . If Shapiro wasn't a nub, he'd bee the puppet geek . "

" Robbie doesn't have a puppet anymore ! " defended Cat , the blonde getting on her nerves .

" Cat ," Robbie soothed ," sweetie, its alright. Sam is just being herself …its fine "

" You are always nice , Robbie , and she is being very mean ," declared a passionate Cat ," Sam might be able to talk to Freddie like that but I don't like her talking to my boyfriend in that way "

" I love you, Cat " Awed by her reaction, Robbie drew her into a dizzy kiss .

" Love you back "

" I don't want to watch this chizz ," announced Sam," you can call the nub back later "

She ended the conversation with a press of a button and the screen went blank.

" Did you have to pick a fight with Cat ?" asked Freddie ," you know she and Robbie are my friends . You could have at least ..tried ..for me "

" She's girly and irritating " announced Sam ,in defense ," and she started it . Not my fault she didn't know her geeky boyfriend is a stupid nub…"

" Whatever , I'll apologize to them later ," Freddie grabbed her hand ," now lets find you the ham so we can get to the lips .."

" Maybe ," agreed Sam as they headed to the kitchen ," but I want the ham first "

" You are amazing, Cat ," Robbie kissed her again," but I really wasn't fine . I don't know Sam well but according to Freddie , that is just how she is and you know, Jade has called me much worse before "

" Jade only partially means it though so its not the same " says Cat , pressing a kiss to his temple ," and it just bothered me . Okay, I cant help it ! I don't like it, Robbie '

" I understand " replied a touched Robbie , taking her hand into his ," come here, I want you to see something, Cat "

They stood and he led her over to the wall where all of the new pictures hung .

" You took down your whole wall and changed it ," Cat hugged his side ," and oh, you have a picture of all of us from the parade parade and there is Tori and Andre performing at the Friday Night Jam. You even have pictures of Beck and Jade and ….me "

" All of the important people in my life ," Robbie held up a framed picture of them holding each other at Karaoke Dokee ," and the special . "

" Us '

" Us ," answered Robbie ," I thought we could hang it up together "

" I think it needs to go front and center " Together, they hung their picture .

" Perfect " declared Robbie, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her hair .

Finally , they had found each other and their happily ever after with each other .

A/N: **Thank you so much for reading Hearts Don't Lie and I hope you stick around for the sequel. Much more fun, drama, romance and more on the horizon . **


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